Two Blue Lines
by Payton79
Summary: Bella, a good girl, was dumped by her long-time boyfriend. Edward, a young doctor, is feeling suffocated by his father's plans. Waking up next to a stranger is a shock for a good girl. Seeing the girl of your dreams run out on you the morning after sucks for a nice guy. What if two blue lines will bind the two together for life? What if they can't even remember how they came to be?
1. Prologue

**A/N:** Hi and welcome to my new story. To begin with, this is a short prologue to get you interested and to inform you that chapter 1 will be posted on **July 1****st**.

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Prologue

When I think back to that morning now, so many years later, I can still feel the fear and embarrassment I felt back then. If I'd known then about the consequences of one careless night, I'd have hidden in my bed in hopes of making it all go away.

But I didn't know. And that's a good thing. Fate was actually on my side. Instead of pushing me into something I had to get through alone, it provided me with friends and a family who've been by my side ever since. And it brought me close to the man who turned out to be my destiny.

Our beginning isn't a tale to tell at a casual get together, but it's our story and we're proud of it, because, if things hadn't happened like that, we wouldn't be where we are today.

********TBL********

**A/N:** Thanks to my betas **EdwardsMate4ever** and **evelyn-shaye** and to my pre-reader **LaPumuckl** who motivates me and pushes me in the right direction whenever I need it. I also want to thank **Marie Carro** for making the wonderful cover and banner for this story.

I hope to see you all again in July.


	2. Chapter 1 - Walk of Shame

**A/N:** Hi, my friends!

I'm so excited to start posting the actual story today. I can't wait to see how you like it. I can't believe how many of you already reviewed, favorited or decided to follow this story after only a short prologue. I'm totally overwhelmed. Thank you all so much!

For those of you who read Puzzle of my Heart, this story is a bit different. It's a little lighter in style and far less dramatic or angsty. But I can tell you, it's fun writing it, and I hope it's fun reading it, too.

I already had a few questions about the updating schedule. Well, unlike POMH, I won't be able to post weekly. On the one hand, I'm still writing this story. POMH was pretty much done when I started posting. On the other hand, in the end of posting POMH, it became way too stressful to still finish writing a few chapters, getting other chapters ready to be beta'd or posted and answer every review while having a full-time job and a family. I know I could just stop replying, but that's not what I want. Being in close contact with my readers is what makes the fanfiction adventure so great. So, although, as a reader, I love stories that update weekly, I have to make it ten to fourteen days between posts, depending on how writing comes along and what's going on in RL.

I have to thank my great team: my betas **EdwardsMate4ever** and **evelyn-shaye** and my pre-reader and very close friend **LaPumuckl **for their wonderful support.

Now, without any further ado, here's chapter 1. See you at the end.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Twilight!

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Chapter 1 – Walk of Shame BPOV

_Oh fuck!_ Even though my eyes were closed, I felt blinded by the light surrounding me. And it caused my head to throb. I couldn't remember ever having had a headache as bad as this one. If I didn't know better, I'd say someone was poking my brain with a red-hot iron.

All the while, my mouth tasted like something furry had died in there. _Gross!_ How could my tongue feel like a high-floor carpet?

Slowly and carefully, I tried to move each of my limbs, taking inventory of whatever else might be off. The assessment went unexpectedly well. No major pain anywhere but in my pounding head.

I decided that I couldn't put off opening my eyes for much longer, so I squinted, only letting the light in through small slits.

_Wow__,__ this is bright!_ For a moment, I was actually too blinded to see anything else but sunlight.

Gradually, my vision adjusted, and I was able to make out pale-gray walls. That was strange since my bedroom was painted in a light blue. Confused, I continued to scan my surroundings. Across from me was a door. To both sides of it were floor-to-ceiling shelves, crammed with books. Most of them looked like textbooks of some kind. On the top shelf sat several sports trophies.

_Oh. My. God! This is a guy's room._ How had I gotten there? Whose room was it, anyway? My internal rambling was interrupted by low groaning. I sat with a start, turning my head to my left. My hand flew up to steady my head where the quick motion had caused the pain to flare up to a new peak. Closing my eyes for a short second to adjust to the throbbing, another groan made them snap open again.

There, next to me, on the other side of the queen-sized bed, was a guy with a disheveled mop of bronze hair, his fists rubbing at his eyes. The sheet was pulled up to his chin and he was yawning heartily.

When he dropped his hands and opened his eyes, they were the most amazing shade of green I'd ever seen. I was being held prisoner, frozen in place as I stared at them while they slowly began to focus on me. His expression was one of surprise mixed with a little shy smirk.

"Oh, hey," he croaked out. Propping himself up on his elbows, the sheet slid down, exposing his very toned bare chest.

I gasped in shock because, just that second, I realized that I was completely naked under the sheet I was clutching close to me. Who was that guy? Why was I in bed with him? Why was I naked? And most importantly, why couldn't I remember anything? The last thing I knew for sure was going to this bar with Rosalie after I told her what that douche had said to me … No, this was neither the time nor place to dwell on that.

Holding the sheet in a death grip, I jumped off the bed, wrapping it around me, exposing a very naked Green-eyes. Said eyes popped wide open and, in a hurry, he pulled up the comforter, but not quickly enough to avoid me getting a perfect look at the goods. Wow, he was hot, but that was so not my problem at the moment.

I started to gather my clothes, which were scattered all over the floor. "What are you doing?" the now slightly less-raspy voice asked from the bed.

"Leaving!" I answered, mortified at myself for what had probably happened the night before. Having sex with strangers was not on my regular list of activities. In fact, it was a first for me — something I'd never planned on doing, either. This was so not me. The idea alone had me shuddering.

He cleared his throat before he spoke again. "You don't have to."

"Well, I do. I don't know you. I can't remember anything about last night." I was almost crying at the thought. "And I've never done this before." I motioned between him and me, waving the clothes in my hand back and forth.

Turning my back to him, I tried to pull up my panties without giving him too much to see.

"Uhm, my name is Edward. Sorry, but I don't remember much either." When I faced him again after yanking my top over my head, I saw him scratching his forehead, his brows furrowed.

I bit my lip, contemplating something. "Do you think we, uhm, you know …?" I left the end of the sentence hanging, unsure how to call what I thought happened. But the dried fluids and subtle soreness between my thighs made it quite certain that we in fact had …

"I'm pretty sure, yeah," he said, giving me a tight smile.

"Oh my God! No!" Having him confirm my suspicion made it a hundred times worse.

My bra was nowhere to be found, but that didn't matter. It could be replaced, unlike my dignity. I hauled my skirt up and grabbed my shoes and purse, heading for the door. "This can't be real. I gotta go." I had to get away from there, from him and everything that reminded me of last night.

Behind me, I heard Edward scramble to his feet, following me to the front door. "Please, wait just for a little bit. I'll get dressed, then I'll drive you home." He looked at me pleadingly, but I had to get out of there and very far away from my embarrassment as soon as possible.

"It's not necessary. My friend will pick me up. Bye." I rushed out, closing the door behind me. After running down the stairs, I fled the building, turning left, hoping that was the closer way home.

Trembling hands fumbled with the zipper of my purse, trying to get my phone out.

The call was finally picked up after the fourth ring. "Rose, please, you have to get me," I begged, trying to keep my panic in check.

"Bella?" Her voice was thick with sleep. "What happened? Where are you?"

"Please, Rose, can you just come and get me? I'll tell you everything then. I'm on —" I looked around, desperate to find a street sign somewhere. "I'm at the corner of Sheffield Ave and Belmont." So I was in Lincoln Park. After six years in Chicago, I knew the basic outlines of the city. It would take Rose a few minutes to get here from her apartment in Lake View.

"Wait there. I'm on my way." Rose hung up, and I looked around, feeling exposed in my short skirt and tight top, heels still in my hand. Thank God it was summer, otherwise I'd be frozen to death before Rosalie would reach me.

Standing on the busy sidewalk, I carefully looked at the people around me, relieved to find they weren't staring at me in my clothes that were more than inappropriate for a Saturday morning. For the first time in my life, I was forced to do the walk of shame.

I'd always been the good girl. Being the Chief of police's daughter from the hole-in-the-wall town of Forks, Washington, I'd moved to the big city with my high school sweetheart, Riley, to attend Northwestern University. I'd been living a model life: college, then a good job, moving in with my boyfriend — all in all, we'd been on a straight path to getting married and starting a family. Until, one year ago, he came back from work, telling me he'd been given the perfect opportunity to further his career …

… "_Sweetie pie, you won't believe what happened today," Riley shouted after closing the door. _

"_In here," I replied from the kitchen, where I was busy preparing dinner._

_He came bouncing through the door, greeting me with a kiss on the cheek, which had become his habit. Standing behind me, he wrapped his arms around me, resting his chin on my shoulder to see what I was doing._

"_So, what happened?" I asked, trying to get back to what he wanted to tell me before._

_He released me, walked a few steps away and opened a cupboard to take out a glass._

"_You know, my boss, Mr. Smith, came to see me today. He praised the work I've done for the company so far and offered me a promotion." His eyes were glowing with pride, and I couldn't keep from smiling at him with the same satisfaction. _

_I hugged him to show him my appreciation. "Baby, that's great. What will the new position be?" _

_He pulled away a bit to look at me before he started to explain. "Well, I'll be working in a different branch of the company." He stopped for a moment, giving me a weird look, kind of insecure about my reaction._

"_Okay," I answered tentatively, feeling like there was more to come and, judging from his expression, it wasn't going to be all good._

"_Uhm, I'll get my own office as well." Still, it sounded like an important piece of information was being left out so far. I nodded at him, inviting him to continue. "The office will be in London."_

_All of a sudden, the room was dead silent as we both were holding our breath. I swallowed hard, trying to wrap my head around what he was telling me. "London as in London, England?" It wasn't really a question but more like a statement, although my raised brows were daring him to contradict me._

_Riley flashed me an uneasy smile, scratching the back of his neck. "The one and only, yeah." _

_I turned away from him in shock. We'd only moved into our apartment ten months ago and I felt at home there. I liked my job. My best friend was in Chicago, too. I wasn't ready to move out of the country, although I'd always seen my future with Riley._

"_Sweetie, it'll only be for a year. Then I'll come back to Chicago and get a much better job. Hey, I'll make enough money for us to buy a house."_

_His arms snaked around my waist, and he pulled me back against him. I realized that he wasn't planning to move _us_ to London. It was all just about him. I was supposed to stay in Chicago to wait for him. I wasn't sure what to think. I didn't want to move, but I'd never planned on having a long-distance relationship, either._

_I turned around in his arms to look him in the eye. His expression was hopeful and excited. "We can do it, you know? Just imagine us living in a house in the suburbs with a big backyard. One year's not that long. We can talk on the phone, we can Skype. It'll be a change, for once. It could even be exciting, an adventure."_

_His words felt like a kick to my stomach, but in a way I knew what he wanted to say. We'd been in love for years, we were solid. If we couldn't make it, who could? What was a year if it would get us closer to what we wanted in life?_

"_If that's what you want …" I answered and was immediately crushed to his chest as he thanked me profusely._

_Well, we would make it, wouldn't we? … _

… I was brought back to the present by a honk when Rose's red Ford Fiesta came to a stop next to me. I jumped in as quickly as possible, urging her to get us going.

She didn't waste any time getting to the point. "Well, you're not looking so hot. What happened?"

Wanting to know what she was talking about, I folded the sun shield down and immediately frowned at the black smudges surrounding my eyes. Looking like that, I'm sure Edward was glad I'd left so quickly.

"I woke up in a strange bed with a man next to me. I think we had sex, but I can't remember a thing. Neither can he, or at least that's what he said. Can you please tell me what happened?" I looked at her expectantly.

She smiled smugly, taking a glimpse at me while she changed lanes. "You mean Edward? Well, you were all over each other last night at the bar."

At least, I wasn't enough of a whore to be with more than one man in one night. That was a small relief. "What do you mean _all over each other_?" I needed more details than that.

Rose snorted as if the answer was obvious. "You two played tonsil hockey like a couple of pros. You just wouldn't stop sticking your tongue down his throat while he groped you. So I gave you two some privacy. When I came to tell you I was going to leave with Garrett, the both of you were gone." Garrett? Must be her flavor of the week. Rosalie was much more sexually liberated than I was. But then again, I'd been in a relationship for the past seven years._ So not the time to think about Riley Biers._

"You let me leave with a stranger, just like that?" I bellowed, outraged at her statement. "I could be dead by now, or raped or whatever. Maybe I was." I furrowed my brows, trying to merge my impression of Edward with my ideas of a rapist. Then I shook my head. No, he was so not your typical criminal — more like the nice, hot, grad student type.

"Naw." The woman I thought was my best friend since freshman year of college waved me off. "He's not like that. When I was worried about you, Edward's tall mouthy friend, I think his name was Emmett or something, told me you left together. He promised me that Edward was a good guy and that you'd get home safely. He seemed trustworthy. Thinking about it, he didn't say whose home, but again, you're okay. Maybe a little more relaxed now that you got a healthy dose of cock. After all, it's been a while, right?" The beautiful blonde raised her brow in question.

Wearily, I took another inventory of myself. "Sore is more like it. And shocked. I've never had a one-night stand, and I don't want to ever do it again. It was embarrassing."

"You can see him again. Then it wouldn't be a one-time thing," Rose suggested, but I shot her down immediately.

"No, I won't! He must think I'm a slut for going home with him like that. And besides, I don't have his number and he doesn't have mine." That was supposed to be the last word on the matter, but I should have known Rose wouldn't let it go like that.

"Honey, it's not the fifties anymore. Nowadays, women take care of their needs without being considered sluts. You're young, you're single. No harm done!" Then she sighed heartily. "What a shame. He was really cute."

Mesmerizing green orbs appeared before my mind's eye, and the image actually made me a little sad, realizing I would never look into them again. But it was for the best. It had only been about sex, and that was so not like me.

"Yeah, cute —" and obviously a man-whore. Why else would he have taken me home after just a few hours? "But enough of that." I tried to finish our conversation as Rose pulled up to my apartment building. "Thanks, Rose for picking me up. I owe you one." I leaned over to hug her.

"You're welcome, hun. After all, you've done the same thing for me more often than I can count."

We smiled at each other, and I opened the door to get out. "Talk to you later, Rose. Bye."

"Bye, Bells." I closed the door again and slowly walked towards my building, looking forward to taking a shower and hopefully being able to forget about what I'd done.

********TBL********

**A/N:** Do you think she can forget Edward that easily? I'm bouncing in my seat with impatience, eager to see what you think. I can tell you, running out would be the very last thing on my mind if I were to wake up next to a naked Edward ;). Anyone thinking any differently? I didn't think so.

Next time, it'll be Edward's turn because this story has alternating POV's. But I won't repeat the same scenes from a different POV, I promise. Want a little teaser? Here it goes:

… _I didn't actually know what happened then, but bits and pieces flashed in my mind — pictures of naked skin, the sweet taste of arousal and Bella's face when she came. …_

Anyone interested? For those who want a longer teaser, there will be one on my Facebook group _**Payton79's Fanfiction**_ in a couple of days.

Hope to see you all again with chapter 2. Until then, tell me what you think ;).


	3. Chapter 2 - Like a Fucked-Up Fairytale

**A/N:** Glad you came back for chapter 2. I can't believe how many of you are already following and how many reviews/comments chapter 1 had. Thank you all for letting me know what you think. I also want to thank everyone who already pimped TBL. You guys are great.

I'm trying to answer each review/comment individually, but I'm afraid I may have forgotten one or two. If I have, I'm sorry, and I promise to try and be better ;).

Anyway, this is the first time I'm working with alternating POVs. I hope I'm not making too much of a mess and you'll like it. This chapter, it's Edward's turn to let us into his head.

As always, you wouldn't enjoy reading this if it wasn't for my betas **evelyn-shaye** and **EdwardsMate4ever** and my pre-reader **LaPumuckl**. The three of them make this story what it is.

Now, enjoy. See you at the bottom.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Twilight...

******TBL******

Chapter 2 – Like a Fucked-Up Fairy Tale

EPOV

When Bella shut the door behind her, I didn't even have to think before I hastened back into the bedroom to put on some clothes. She couldn't leave like that. Although I hadn't known her for even twenty-four hours, I wasn't ready to let her go. Dressed in jeans, a t-shirt and some shoes, I stormed out into the hall, trying to get her to come back inside or at least let me take her home, but she was nowhere to be seen. Grabbing my keys, I ran down the stairs, and out of the building, hoping to maybe catch up with her on the street. But obviously, getting dressed had taken too long, because she was already out of sight.

"Fuck!" I shouted in frustration, making an older woman who was just walking past me stop in her tracks, shaking her head at me.

I threw her a tight smile to apologize for my outburst before I made my way back up to my apartment, disappointment and defeat nagging at me.

I wasn't a pro at handling one-night stands. Okay, I'd had a few. Sometimes it was just easier than going through all the hassle a relationship entailed. Although I didn't have that much practice, I hadn't wanted Bella to leave like that. And she hadn't even given me her number. _Shit!_

I thought about her beautiful deep-brown eyes. Entranced, I chuckled to myself, remembering how she'd looked like a raccoon after waking up. My amusement vanished when I realized I felt sorry for her, thinking about the horror on her face when she found out where she was and what had most certainly happened between us.

She said she couldn't remember anything. Obviously, she didn't even know who I was. She hadn't seemed _that_ drunk when we met. Of course, she was a bit tipsy when she stumbled into me and that had been cute as fuck, but she hadn't been out-of-her-mind drunk.

Crashing into me had made her spill her drink, and I bought her a new one. That's how it began. A little later, I kissed a drop of the sweet stuff she was drinking off her lip, and the rest was history.

I recalled that we danced and that she felt so good in my arms. She tasted heavenly, and we had lots of fun kissing and touching and laughing. Then we started playing a variation of beer pong against Emmett and a girl he'd met. Needless to say, we lost by a mile. In between rounds, there was lots of making out, and I remember that Bella had been quite handsy, but somewhere during that game, my memory stops.

I didn't actually know what happened then, but bits and pieces flashed in my mind — pictures of naked skin, the sweet taste of arousal and Bella's face when she came. Wow, even those tiny images made my dick stand at attention. I shook my head, trying to clear my mind. I had to get up and going to make it to work in time. Luckily, my shift started later in the day.

I decided to start by picking up the mess in the bedroom. Several pieces of clothes were lying around the bed, the covers were torn off, and the sheet was stained. Yes, we'd indeed had sex last night.

After a few minutes, I came across a black piece of lace that was peeking out from under the bed. I bent down and pulled out what looked like Bella's bra. Without a conscious command, I lifted it to my nose and inhaled deeply. A tantalizingly sweet and feminine scent filled my nostrils, conjuring up images of Bella and me, limbs tangled with each other, tongues dancing.

Again, I tried to shake the memories. For a minute, I wondered what to do with the piece of underwear and finally decided to put it in my nightstand. If I couldn't give it back to her, I could at least use the effect it had on me and put it to good use when I felt lonely and stressed sometime in the future.

When I was done cleaning up, I felt dread creeping up my spine, realizing I'd come across neither a used condom nor a wrapper. _Oh fuck!_ After four years of medical school and one year of residency, I knew better than anyone else what it could mean to have sex with a stranger without protection. Fortunately, Bella didn't strike me as a person who had frequently changing partners. Her reaction this morning made that clear. So chances were she didn't have any STDs to pass on. And most women her age were on the pill, anyway. But still, how irresponsible could I be?

After beating myself up for what seemed to be an adequate amount of time, I finally made my way to the shower to get ready for work.

****TBL****

"Ed, my man." I was greeted with a hit on my shoulder when I reached my locker. "How was your night with Bambi? Man, what a hot piece of ass. But Jess wasn't bad either. The things that chick can do with her mouth, unbelievable."

Emmett was one of my best friends since we were lab partners in chemistry freshman year. We'd survived college, then later med school together until, one year ago, we started our residency here at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

"Bambi?" I snorted with irritation. "Her name is Bella." Emmett was a womanizer and had a way of providing every one of them with nicknames that mostly didn't sit well with me.

"With those big brown eyes and the air of innocence she had about her, she's clearly a Bambi. Anyway, give me the deets. How was she?" When I looked at him, he was wiggling his brows suggestively.

I groaned in frustration. I was so not the guy to brag about my conquests, but at the same time, I knew he wouldn't give up before I gave him at least something.

"I don't remember much, but what I recall was really good. Unfortunately, Bella ran out on me this morning without leaving me her number or anything. It seems like she doesn't remember last night and she's never done this before. So she freaked out." My exasperation was clearly audible.

Clapping me on the back, he guffawed. "A virgin? Oh man, you sure know how to pick 'em."

Turning around, I threw him a murderous glare. "She wasn't a virgin, you asshole. She's never had a one-night stand before. Although I was kind of hoping it could maybe become more." A little sad smile played at the corners of my mouth. "I liked her, you know?"

"Oh Ed, it seems like that fish got away, but I assure you, there are more than enough of them in the pond. Your old man wouldn't have approved, anyway."

And there it was. The reason that had made me go out with the intention to drink myself senseless in the first place.

Yesterday, after my shift, my father, the high and mighty Dr. Carlisle Cullen, head of the cardiology department at NMH and highly sought-after expert in his specialist field, had summoned me to his office and — like the good son that I was, or rather was expected to be — I'd obeyed …

… _I hurried to the floor of my father's office so as not to give him any more ammunition than he, for sure, already had. He didn't normally call me to meet him to discuss the weather or any pleasantries. _

_Standing at his door, I took a deep breath, bracing myself for one of his infamous sermons. After a long moment, I couldn't put things off any longer. So I knocked, and immediately, the well-known cold voice told me to come in._

_Dr. Cullen was sitting at his giant desk, wearing a lab coat over a button-down shirt and tie, looking as important as they come._

"_Good afternoon, Dad," I greeted him with less emotion than I'd muster up for any stranger._

"_Edward," he replied, looking me up and down as I walked the few steps toward the visitors' chairs, trying to exude some confidence. _

_I sat down in the seat he indicated and waited for the bashing to begin. Instead of _"How are you?"_ he cut right to the chase. "Son, I had a talk with Dr. Banner, this morning." His tone didn't give much away apart from his usual dissatisfaction with me._

_He talked to the director of my residency program. So what? I nodded, my face impassive, waiting for the reason of this uncomfortable meeting._

"_He told me you were doing well. You actually are one of the top three residents in internal medicine." He looked me in the eye like he was waiting for some reaction, but I gave him nothing._

_So far, so good. He couldn't really complain about that now, could he?_

"_Well, Edward, you're my son. And when people hear the name _Cullen_, they expect excellence. Being one of the top three won't be enough to get a cardiology fellowship. You need to be the best." His stare was stern, his voice hard._

_Not that I'd ever expressed the wish to become a cardiologist. It was _he_ who'd always assumed I'd follow in his footsteps. As long as I remembered, I was told I'd succeed my father. I'd never really gotten the chance to think about what I wanted myself because I was too busy studying and doing what I was told. And of course, no one had ever bothered to ask._

_Although I was boiling on the inside, I kept my calm, only nodding to convey that I understood what he was telling me._

"_But there's something else. Banner said you spend a lot of time talking to patients, comforting relatives and being nice to nurses. Edward, that's not what gets you ahead in your career. Compassion is nice in your free time but it doesn't belong here. You need to learn to detach yourself from the people you treat. You're still too weak." He almost spat the last words at me, making me cringe against my will. _

_Of course, compassion was the last thing on my father's agenda. To him, the people he treated were numbers and medical histories. If their names weren't of public interest, he'd completely forget about them as soon as they got released. But I refused to be like him. Becoming an emotionless robot was something I'd fight with everything I had._

_But at the same time, I wasn't willing to discuss that point right then. I clenched my teeth, holding the gaze of the ice-cold blue eyes across the desk. After a long moment, I nodded almost imperceptibly, trying to get him off my case._

_Luckily, he seemed satisfied with my reaction. We only exchanged a few more words about my mother and how she was hoping I'd come by the house again soon before he finally let me off the hook. _

_Back downstairs, I couldn't hold back anymore, punching my locker several times to blow off some steam. Why couldn't he ever talk to me the way he talked to Alice? I loved my sister more than anything, and I'd never ever wish this on her, but in my father's eyes she could do no wrong. _

_I'd been valedictorian in high school, graduated first in my class from college and cum laude from Feinberg School of Medicine, but still, he constantly found fault with everything I did._

_Alice had been allowed to become what she wanted. She had been free to choose her own path. Of course, it didn't hurt that she'd willingly chosen a suitable fiancé, which I still refused to do. But she had all the freedom I'd never had._

_Emmett found me there, out of breath, my hand hurting from using my locker as a punching bag, and persuaded me to go out for drinks with him — which brought me to the bar where I met Bella … _

… No, my father probably wouldn't approve of her, but it wouldn't be the first time that I didn't give a shit about what he thought. His idea of a suitable girlfriend was far different from mine. I'd never marry a Stepford wife or a career-type woman the way he wanted me to. But that was a battle to fight another time.

"You know, Em, I couldn't care less what he approves of," I told my friend as I put on my scrubs.

Emmett chuckled, clapping me on the shoulder. "You go, man."

****TBL****

For the past week, my days went their usual way. Work, studying, sometimes dinner with Emmett. Everything would have been normal, had I not woken up every morning with the image of big brown eyes imprinted in my mind.

After seven days of not being able to forget the petite brunette I'd taken home the week before, I decided to take matters into my own hands and try to find her. Unfortunately, I didn't have much to go on. So I did the only thing I could and went back to the bar where we'd met, hoping she was a regular there.

It was Friday night again, but it was still early. So the place was rather empty. After looking around for a minute, making sure she wasn't one of the patrons present at the time, I made my way to the bar. Sitting down, I ordered a beer.

"I'm looking for someone I met here, last week," I started when the barkeeper set the bottle in front of me. "She's pretty, early to mid-twenties, with brown hair, big brown eyes and she's about that high." I moved my hand to my shoulder. "Her name's Bella. Ring any bells?"

The guy behind the bar thought for a minute as I took a sip of my drink. Then he shook his head. "Sorry, man, I don't know her. A lot of people come and go here." He actually looked kind of sad for me.

I wasn't willing to give up yet. "Maybe you know her friend. A blond bombshell going by the name of Rose?" Considering the woman looked like a supermodel with a matching attitude, it could be that he'd rather remember her than Bella and her quiet beauty and shy demeanor.

Again, he appeared to search his memory but came up empty once more. "They don't seem to be regulars, man. Sorry." With a shrug of his shoulders, he turned away from me.

An hour later, after asking another barkeeper and two waitresses, I left the place, realizing that the only chance I had to find her turned out to be a dead end. I'd gone over everything I recalled her telling me, but none of it was of any help. She was just one girl in almost three million people living in Chicago. If fate wasn't on my side, our paths would probably never cross again.

Back at home, I took Bella's bra out of my nightstand and allowed myself to inhale her wonderful scent. An epiphany I had right that minute made me bend over laughing almost hysterically. Our situation resembled a fucked-up fairy tale. Just like Cinderella who had lost her glass slipper on her way out of the castle, Bella had left her bra during her escape from my apartment. The chances of the prince finding her again were also slim to none. And maybe, like Prince Charming, I'd get another chance to return Bella's bra to her and see if it fit.

But I couldn't predict when that would happen, if it would happen at all. So, probably, in the meantime, I should take Emmett up on the many blind dates slash hook-ups he's been offering me for years. After all, there was no use in locking myself away in hopes of finding my princess again.

********TBL********

**A/N:** *sigh* So Edward lost his princess. Seems like he already has it bad for runaway Bella. Poor guy. Will he ever see her again? I think you all know the answer ;).

Anyway, what do you think about the way they met? Is it okay for Edward to partly move on while waiting to run into Bella again? I promise, you won't have to be witness to him dating anyone else. It's always hard for me to read parts like that.

Next chapter, we're with Bella again. Here's a little teaser:

… _Feeling the heat creeping up my spine, I skimmed back and forth, covering a span of about two months. The more I tried to conjure up the familiar sign on the pages, the more I realized that something was definitely off. …_

A little cryptic, I know, but I can't give too much away if I want you to come back, right?

To shorten the time until next chapter, tell me what you think, here or on Facebook in the group _Payton79's Fanfiction_. There will be a longer teaser in a few days.

See you next chapter ;).


	4. Chapter 3 - Twist of Fate

**A/N:** Hi! First of all, thank you all for following, favoriting and reviewing. Again, I tried to answer each one, but if I overlooked yours, I'm sorry. It wasn't intentional.

So, for all of you who hoped to see Edward going from door to door, making women try on the bra — naw, not gonna happen this chapter. It's BPOV after all. But Bella's life isn't boring, either.

Before I let you read what she has been up to, I want to shout out a loud "Thank you" to my betas **evelyn-shaye **and **EdwardsMate4ever** and my wonderful prereader **LaPumuckl**. Working with the three of you is so much fun.

Now, let's see what's going on with Bella.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Twilight...

******TBL******

Chapter 3 – Twist of Fate

BPOV

I'd been sitting at my desk at work, editing a historical romance novel. It was the work of a new author we'd only recently signed. Although it was her first original novel, her style and imagination were impressive. Unlike many others, she managed to draw me in after only two pages. Editing that book was more fun than it was work. I'd been totally immersed in the world the author had created when the ringing of my phone startled me back into reality.

"Hey, Mom," I greeted my mother with fake enthusiasm.

Since I'd told her about my break-up with Riley, she'd called me every day, constantly trying to set me up with whomever came to her mind. My parents had been happily married for twenty-six years, and my mom wanted the whole world to be as happy as they were. Her list of eligible bachelors ranged from boys I went to school with, who still lived in Forks, to sons of people she knew, who lived in the Chicago metropolitan area, and nephews of neighbors of friends of coworkers … I'm sure you get the picture.

"Mom, no, give it a rest, okay?" I tried to stop my mother's chattering after at least five minutes of her talking and me only inserting _uh huh, yeah _or_ no_.

Today, she was trying to get me to come to Forks and go out with my best friend from childhood days. Little did she know that said friend had been the guy I'd lost my virginity to. Luckily, it didn't harm our friendship since we both knew from the start that there wouldn't be anything romantic between us. I wanted to know what sex was like and I didn't want to share that experience with just anyone. So it came in handy that he had some experience and was willing to help me out. It was as easy as that. When I thought about it, it kind of was a one-night stand, although it neither happened at night nor had Jacob been a stranger.

Great! Now I was back to thinking about a very handsome face with mesmerizing green eyes. _That_ definitely had been a one-night stand. Almost four weeks had passed since my encounter with Edward. For the most part, I'd managed not to think about it. My embarrassment was still too strong to look back at that day with anything other than horror. But at the same time, my subconscious brought up images of said eyes in the most unexpected moments. If I was honest, there hadn't been a day so far that had passed without Edward at least briefly showing up in my dreams — awake or asleep. _Grrrr!_ I had to get the whole thing out of my mind again — and pronto.

I was only listening with half an ear as my mother was still trying to sell Jacob to me. Either she didn't know he was engaged — had been for a while now — or she just didn't care. I suspected the latter but didn't call her out on it. And she apparently wasn't aware that I was still in contact with him. Although our close friendship had kind of drifted apart when I started dating Riley, we still exchanged emails more or less regularly.

At some point, I just had enough, and my lunch break was about over, so I decided to get her to shut up. "Mom, well, you don't have to keep your ears open for me. I already started seeing someone."

It wasn't even a lie. Mike, a colleague of mine, had been pestering me for a while now, making advances whenever we were in the same room. He was quite good-looking with blond hair and baby-blue eyes. Although he was definitely not the brightest candle on the cake, he was nice and maybe just the distraction I needed after the whole Edward debacle. So I'd finally agreed to go out with him. We'd been on two dates so far, the third being scheduled for Friday.

"Who is he? Is he attractive? How long has this been going on?" My mom was obviously bouncing in her seat with the way her voice sounded.

Since I was sure whatever this was with Mike was only a rebound thing, he probably wouldn't be around long. I definitely wasn't planning for my parents to meet him, so I wanted to give her as little information as possible.

"It's very new. We've only been out on a few dates, but he's nice," I answered her vaguely. The more she knew, the more she'd obsess about it.

Mom must have put me on speaker since I could here her clap her hands like a little kid. "That's wonderful, honey. So, when will we meet him? Will you bring him home with you for your father's birthday at the end of the month? You're coming, right?"

She'd asked me about the party several times before, but I'd always managed not to give her a definite answer. I knew, now that there were only a few weeks left, I wouldn't be able to avoid telling her yes or no any longer.

"Mom, wait a moment, I'll get my schedule." I held the phone in place by raising my shoulder as I reached for my little black calendar. I still preferred writing my appointments down on paper rather than typing them into my phone.

I turned the pages to get to the weekend of my father's birthday when I suddenly noticed something missing. Normally, I kept meticulous count of everything, but for some reason the little red dot I usually scribbled in once a month had been absent for a while.

Feeling the heat creeping up my spine, I skimmed back and forth, covering a span of several weeks. The more I tried to conjure up the familiar sign on the pages, the more I realized that something was definitely off.

My mouth was as dry as the Sahara and my pulse was racing while cold sweat formed beads on my forehead. I cleared my throat, trying to pull myself together at least long enough to end my current phone call.

"Mom … " I heard my voice squeak and prayed my mother hadn't noticed. "Mom," I tried again, this time I sounded a bit more like myself. "I gotta go. Something came up."

"But, Bells, honey, you still haven't told me if you'll come." She sounded confused, but I couldn't care about that at that moment.

"Bye, Mom. I'll call you back." Without waiting for her to answer, I hung up.

For several minutes, I sat there, trying to remember how to breathe.

_In … and out … in … and out … in … and out._

Then I picked up my cell and speed-dialed the first person that came to my mind. I was kind of relieved when my call went straight to voicemail. My knee bouncing with impatience, I waited for the greeting to end.

"Rose, can you meet me at my place after work, please? I need you to hold my hand for something." Surprised at how calm I sounded, I ended the call, resting my head on my desk.

How was I supposed to get through the next few hours until I could go home and do what it would take to discover my fate?

****TBL****

Rose had tried to call me back a few times after receiving my message, but I'd avoided her calls because I was sure she'd demand I tell her what was up. As long as she didn't know, I could pretend that everything was okay, but as soon as she was here, I'd have to face the music.

Sitting on the couch, waiting for Rose to come and give me moral support, I couldn't keep from thinking about the last time I'd sat in the exact same spot, waiting for someone …

… _I sat on the couch, impatiently waiting for my boyfriend to return home from his year abroad. I'd been a little hurt when he refused to have me pick him up at the airport, but he'd assured me that he wanted me all to himself the moment he saw me instead of having to share me with hundreds of people in the arrivals section at Chicago O'Hare. So I didn't argue and decided to prepare us a very special dinner. I'd cooked one of Riley's favorites to celebrate his return to our home._

_Finally, two hours after his plane had supposedly landed, I heard keys in the lock. Then, the door swung open, and Riley entered with a smile on his face. He threw the duffel bag he was carrying into the corner and wrapped his arms around me._

"_Hey, Bells! It's so good to see you," he murmured into my hair, and in reaction to that, I pulled him closer to me, telling him I was happy to see him, too._

_After a long moment, he released me and led me over to the couch, pulling me down to sit next to him. With a frown on my face, I looked over to the bag on the floor. That was odd. When he'd left one year ago, he'd taken two big suitcases with him. Why did he only have a duffel bag with him when he returned?_

_He cleared his throat, and I looked back at my boyfriend. "Sweetie, we need to talk."_

_That was never a good opening. When I looked at him, he seemed very tense, and I realized that he hadn't even kissed me hello. But I didn't want to hear anything bad — not right then._

"_Don't you want to eat first? I made your favorite: steak with home-made fries. We have so much time to talk later, don't we?" I smiled at him encouragingly and he smiled back, although it didn't reach his eyes._

"_I think we need to talk first." He furrowed his brows as if to collect himself and find the right words. "Bella, I'll only be here for a week." After saying that, he breathed out, looking at me expectantly._

"_What do you mean? You just came back after a year in London. Are they sending you somewhere else again?" I asked him in confusion._

_Riley took both my hands in his, his gaze fixed on where we were touching. "Honey, I'm going back to England next week. They offered me a permanent position."_

_I couldn't believe what he was saying. He'd promised me to come back after a year. We'd buy a house, he'd said. Was I supposed to go with him now? I loved my job, and I couldn't imagine moving an ocean away from Rose or my parents._

"_And you're taking it," I stated instead of asking him. He nodded sadly, still not looking at me. "You said you'd move back here after twelve months. Why did you decide to stay?" And why hadn't he discussed it with me before making that decision? I was hurt and bewildered, and what had me on edge was that Riley was still avoiding my gaze._

_I heard him swallow before he finally lifted his eyes to meet mine. The pain I found there gutted me. But I was still not prepared for what he was about to say. _

"_I met someone."_

_All of a sudden, my brain was in overdrive. "What? When? How? …" I shook my head as my thoughts were racing, still, I was unable to finish any of my questions._

"_Her name is Victoria. We work together." His eyes were intense on mine, waiting a moment before he continued. "I met her my first week in London, and we just clicked."_

_That was weird. He'd never even mentioned someone named Victoria in all the hundreds of hours we'd talked on the phone. Why had he waited to tell me until now?_

"_You met her a year ago? Wow! And you waited twelve months to be together with her? Only to tell me in person?" I was impressed, and although I was hurt and sad, I thought it was noble of him to go about things that way._

_Again, he looked away from me, making a strange strangled noise. "Not exactly." It was a low whisper, but I caught it anyway._

"_Not exactly what?" Somehow my sadness made way for anger to slowly rise._

"_Uhm, we didn't exactly wait twelve months." At least he had the decency to look guilty._

_I pulled my hands out of his hold and got to my feet. Now, towering over him, I crossed my arms over my chest._

"_So you cheated on me for a whole year, and now you've come back to break up with me? How fucked up is that?" I seethed. _

"_It wasn't the whole year. It was only ten months. We were thousands of miles apart, and I was lonely. I didn't want to tell you over the phone." The guy had the audacity to defend himself with a point as stupid as that. _

_I growled, walking to the other side of the room, unable to stay close to the cheater. _

"_You couldn't tell me over the phone but you could very well have phone sex with me on a regular basis while you were fucking someone else the whole time? That's so … I don't even have a word for how mad and hurt I am." I threw my hands up in the air while I paced the room._

_Riley stood up to walk toward me, his hands held up in a gesture of peace. "Sweetheart, I'm so sorry."_

"_Don't you ever call me that again!" I spat. "You're a cheating piece of shit." Stepping away from him, I opened the door, grabbed his duffel bag and threw it out into the hall. "Now, get out! Go back to England and never come back here again!"_

_I didn't care that all the stuff he hadn't been able to take to Europe with him was still in the apartment, and I didn't care that his name was on the lease, too. I wanted him gone immediately._

_He hesitated for a minute, looking toward the door to the bedrooms, probably unsure if he should leave without his things, but eventually decided to obey. When he walked toward the open door, he stopped next to me, looking at me with sorrow written all over his face._

"_I'm sorry, Bells. I didn't want it to end this way. I was in love with you for a long time. I really thought we'd grow old together." His voice was quiet and his eyes were fixed on the wooden floor, not making contact with mine._

_I snorted out a bitter laugh. "Well, tough shit. Apparently, it's someone else you love and want to grow old with now. Fuck off, Riley. And have a nice life." _

_Without looking at me again, he stepped into the hall, and I threw the door shut. Exhausted and feeling strangely empty, I leaned against the cool wood, trying to grasp what just happened. My relationship of seven years just ended — the only adult relationship I'd ever had. The reason I'd moved to Chicago had just walked out of my life. _

_Taking a moment to sort out my feelings, I was surprised to find that there was only the slightest amount of hurt. I'd expected to feel gut-wrenching pain in a moment like that. But I didn't. I was pissed because of the way he'd treated me, angry for the way he'd lied to me for so long, and right now I'd have a great time kicking him in the nuts repeatedly. But what I didn't feel was the loss I'd been sure to experience. _

_The longer I thought about it, the more I realized that I hadn't really missed Riley for most of the time he'd been away. We'd talked to each other on the phone mostly because it was a habit, but those calls became f__ewer_ _and farther in between_ _— and __I hadn't minded very much. Slowly, I saw that I wasn't in love with him anymore — in fact, hadn't been for a while. _

_Still, I was hurt and angry — and frustrated, because, unlike him, I'd lived celibate for a year. _

_I'd never been one for casual sex, and I was sure I wouldn't start now, but I was more than ready to maybe get to know someone new. If I was honest with myself, it felt like my relationship with Riley had ended when he first left for England instead of just one hour ago._

_So, when Rose insisted I go out with her the day after, I didn't mind having some fun. Had I only known how quickly that fun would turn dead serious … _

… The knocks I'd been waiting for, yet dreading at the same time, pulled me back into the present. My best friend kept knocking impatiently as I was virtually sneaking toward the door at the slowest possible pace. When I reached for the knob, I took another steadying breath before I twisted it.

Without looking at me, Rose pushed into the apartment, as soon as the door cracked open.

"You can't just leave me a cryptic message and then refuse to take any of my calls. You should be glad I'm even here because, right now, I'm so pissed at you." My eyes followed her as she paced the room, imagining little clouds of steam emerging from her furious body. She turned to look at me when she heard the door close. "What is it you need me for, anyway?"

I bit my lip, not meeting her eyes, as I reached for the brown paper bag on the table by the entry. Slowly, I pulled out the content and held up the pregnancy test I'd bought on my way home.

My friend's jaw dropped as her eyes zeroed in on the white and blue box in my hands. "Oh fuck!" was all she said before locking her gaze with mine.

I felt the blood rush to my cheeks, waiting for her to say something. But instead of chastising me, she hurried toward me and pulled me into a fierce hug. "Fuck, Bells!" she sighed in a softer tone as she released me to scrutinize my face. "Edward?"

Again, I bit my lip to keep from panicking. Not trusting my voice, I just nodded. The fearful expression on my face made her draw me into another embrace.

"Everything's going to be okay, hun," Rose tried to assure me while stroking her hand up and down my back. "Now, let's find out if there's any need to worry, shall we?"

With that, she pulled me with her to the bathroom.

****TBL****

Ten minutes later, looking at a plastic stick with two blue lines on it, I knew that, in fact, nothing was okay or would be okay again in the foreseeable future. I felt all color draining from my face as I unsuccessfully tried to swallow back the bile that was rising from my stomach.

Like the wonderful friend that she was, Rosalie helped me over to the toilet and held my hair as I threw up violently until there was nothing left to wretch up and my diaphragm was hurting from contracting. Still trying to catch a breath, I let my ass drop to the floor, scooted back until my back met the bath tub and rested my head against the tiles.

"What do I do now?" I asked, my voice full of despair, as I drew my knees up and hugged them to my chest.

Rose plopped down next to me, placing her arm around my shoulders in a comforting manner. "First, you have to decide if you want to have it." She said it matter-of-factly, but I think we both knew the answer to that.

I'd always been a firm believer in a woman's right to her body and having choices. Hell, I had argued that point more than once, at school and in private. Yet, I thought I always knew that it was not a choice for me. I always wanted a family. Well, until about four weeks ago, I was sure I would soon be having children with Riley. But the universe seemed to have other plans. I would be having a baby, just not with him. There wasn't the slightest doubt as to who was the father.

My mind conjured up images of a beautiful little boy with the most unusual green eyes. If I hadn't been sure before, my mind was firmly set now.

"I'm going to have the baby. No matter the circumstances, it's my child, and I could never kill it." Tears were streaming down my face as I realized what consequences my decision brought with it. I'd be a mother soon. I'd be responsible for another human being — a tiny little person. Although I was almost scared to death, a warm fuzzy feeling spread through my belly and my hands automatically went to rest on my still-flat stomach as if to touch the life growing inside.

Rose smiled at me reassuringly, but gravely at the same time. "Then the next thing you should do is go see a doctor to make sure the little one is okay."

****TBL****

And that's what I did. After a very long, sleepless night, I'd called my OB/GYN's office to schedule an appointment for later that day. Unfortunately, Rose had an important meeting and couldn't go with me. So I sat there alone, answering uncomfortable questions which led to the doctor advising me to get tested for STDs. When he had chastised me to his satisfaction, and I felt enough like shit for having sex with a stranger, unsure if we used any protection, the ultrasound technician finally came in. The moment I saw the little blinking spot on the screen, all discomfort was forgotten, and I was blown away, totally overwhelmed, with happy tears running like waterfalls.

With a printed picture in my purse and the knowledge that my little peanut was okay, I went home. While lying awake the night before, I'd thought about a lot of things. The first decision I'd made was to break things off with Mike. I didn't expect him to play daddy for another man's baby, and honestly, even if he offered, I wouldn't want him to. So I asked him to meet me after work that same day instead of waiting for our date the day after to tell him then.

When he arrived at my apartment, he smiled like the cat that ate the canary. Keeping the smirk on his face, he sat down on the couch after we put the greeting behind us.

"So, Bella, what's so important that it couldn't wait until tomorrow? Did you miss me that much?" He looked kind of hopeful, but missing him had been the last thing on my mind.

I took a deep breath, bracing myself for what I needed to say. "Mike, I have to tell you something. I just found out yesterday that I'm pregnant."

The expression on his face shifted gradually from the grin to an uncomprehending frown and to a disbelievingly raised brow. I watched him take in the meaning of my revelation. When he finally spoke, he took me totally off guard.

"But, uhm, we haven't even had sex yet." He sounded like either a little boy or the village idiot. I couldn't decide which one it was. I knew it was mean, but I felt the overwhelming need to take his head and bang it against the next wall to knock some sense into him.

Aware that hitting him was not the best course of action, I tried to remain calm and keep the condescending tone that tried to emerge out of my voice when I explained the basics of life to him.

"Well, Mike, it's not your baby — obviously." All of a sudden, I was impatient to get this conversation over with.

Mike, whose jaw had dropped, seemed to have composed himself a little bit. "So, who _is_ the father?"

I knew he probably had a right to ask, but I actually didn't want him to know too much. "It's someone I dated before you and haven't seen since."

He had a contemplative expression on his face, and I had to put an end to it before he could get the idea I wanted him to be my partner in this.

"Listen, Mike, I'm sure you don't want to go out with me again and that's okay. I have so much going on in my life right now that I'm not in the right frame of mind to date anyone, anyway. Thanks for the nice time we had, and I hope you'll find someone else soon." I rose from the couch and gestured toward the door, not giving him the chance to object.

He stood, too, and slowly we walked to the door together.

"I'm sorry, Bella. You know, if you need a friend, you can always call me." He sounded sincere, and I guess he really was, but I thought we both knew I wouldn't take him up on that offer.

"Thanks, Mike. I'll see you at work."

After watching him step into the elevator, I closed the door and leaned against it, exhaling with relief. So there was one thing less I had to take care of.

****TBL****

The next two nights were filled with a series of dreams featuring messy bronze hair and unique emerald eyes. So, by Saturday, I was exhausted from tossing and turning at night and worrying during the day. In addition to that, right on time with me discovering that I was pregnant, the infamous morning sickness had set in.

For the last two days, I'd been contemplating if I wanted to involve someone else in my mess. In the end, my sense of responsibility won out, and I found myself on the corner of Sheffield Ave. and Belmont. It was four weeks later right on the day, but although it was Saturday late afternoon and I was dressed normally, I felt as uneasy and troubled as I'd felt the last time I'd been there.

"You sure you don't want me to come with you?" Rose asked nervously when I hadn't left the car after a few minutes with cars honking all around us.

I looked into her eyes and threw her a forced smile. "No. Thanks for the offer, but this is something I have to do on my own. I made my bed, now I have to lie in it."

She pulled me against her in a reassuring hug before I finally stepped out of the car. It was time to find the way back to the place I'd left in a frantic attempt to escape from a certain man. A man whose life I was probably about to destroy.

********TBL********

**A/N:** So, who's hating Riley? Hands up for a count! He's a real darling, right? Trying not to hurt Bella's feelings by screwing around behind her back. Who wouldn't be touched by that?

Bella's on her way to tell Edward. Any ideas how he'll react? I'd love to hear your thoughts on that. Here's a little teaser:

… _I'd heard the words, but they hadn't really registered yet. They were replaying in my head until, slowly, the penny dropped, and I jumped up from the couch, heading for the bottle of Jack I'd hidden behind a book. I poured myself a generous portion and downed it in one gulp. …_

That went well … Will he freak out? Run away? Or hug her because he's happy? Let me know what you think.

Until next time, join us on _Facebook_. We're having a lot of fun there in my group _Payton79's Fanfiction_.

See you next time!


	5. Chapter 4 - Breaking the News

**A/N:** Hi! I'm glad you're back! Sorry for the little cliffie at the end of last chapter, but the situation called for a change of POV. So we'll get Edward's reaction directly from the horse's mouth. But it's not just Edward who gets his say in this chapter.

Thanks to all of you for your wonderful support through following, adding TBL to your favorites lists, and most of all, reviewing. I loved each and every one of your reviews, and I hope I haven't forgotten any of you while answering. If I did, it was totally unintentional.

And I have to shout out a loud "Thank you" to **Redtini** for rec'ing this story in her most recent A/N. If you haven't checked out her story _The Dress_ yet, you definitely should. She's an awsome writer!

This story wouldn't be what it is without the wonderful help of my betas **EdwardsMate4ever** and **evelyn-shaye** and my pre-reader and twin-in-spirit **LaPumuckl**. You ladies bring out the best in my writing.

Now, on to Edward probably getting the shock of his life. See you at the bottom.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Twilight...

******TBL******

Chapter 4 – Breaking the News

EPOV

"Man, come on. You can still study tomorrow. It's Saturday, and I have two hot chicks lined up. They're supposed to be easy, too. Let's go out and have some fun," Emmett whined. Then he snatched the book I'd been trying to read for half an hour from under my nose.

He was one of my best friends, but mostly he annoyed the shit out of me. Twice over the last three weeks, I'd given in and gone out with girls he'd chosen for me, all to forget about the brown-eyed beauty I wasn't able to track down. Both times, I'd spent a more or less nice evening with the girl, but I didn't even kiss either of them goodnight. They both weren't able to hold my interest long enough to make the effort. They wouldn't have fit into my Cinderella's bra either, no actual attempt necessary.

So tonight, Emmett was on a mission to finally get me laid. But he had two reasons stacked against him. The first being that, on Monday, for the very first time, I was supposed to perform a gastroscopy by myself. I'd assisted many times while other doctors performed the procedure, but I'd never been the one to actually do it. So I was determined to freshen up my knowledge about everything stomach-related.

The second reason keeping me from agreeing to Emmett's plan was that I had no desire whatsoever to meet another girl with an IQ close to room temperature. I wasn't just a visual guy but one of the seemingly small percentage of men who thought that besides a nice rack and ass a woman needed brains, too. But those ideas were lost on Emmett.

Slamming my fist on the table, I tried one final time to get him to leave me alone and take the girls out on his own.

"Shit, Emmett. Give me back the damn book and fuck off. I told you often enough that I'm not interested in the kind of girls you're parading past me, not tonight anyway. Go, have fun, but leave me alone." If looks could kill, Emmett would be six feet under by now, but just like always, he was not impressed with my outburst.

A knock on the door interrupted our staring match. Emmett looked away first and had the door open before I could even get up.

"Uhm, sorry. I think I'm at the wrong apartment." The soft female voice went straight to my insides.

Emmett greeted her with an audible smirk. "Bambi?"

I rushed to the door, stopping next to Emmett. Transfixed, my green eyes immediately got lost in her brown ones which lit up noticeably as they spotted me.

"Bella," I choked out, bewildered and disbelieving, but incredibly happy to see her. "You're back. Please, come on in."

I shoved Emmett to the side to make room for Bella to enter the apartment. She hesitated for a moment, looking at Emmett, then at me again, before she slowly crossed the threshold. I led her over to the couch and motioned for her to sit down.

"Would you like something to drink?" I offered, trying to make her feel more comfortable.

Lacking even the least bit of tactfulness, Emmett plopped down right next to her with a knowing smile on his face, making her flinch slightly.

Almost inaudibly, she said, "Maybe a glass of water. Thank you," while Emmett simultaneously blurted out, "A beer would be nice, man," without looking at me.

"Em, isn't there somewhere you need to be?" I asked with an edge to my voice, wanting him out of there before he could say something wrong.

Even then, he didn't take his eyes off Bella. "No, I don't think so. Now that Bambi's here, this will be much more entertaining than what I had planned for tonight."

Bella looked up from her hands, furrowing her brows at him, but didn't comment.

"Em, you've gotta go. I'll call you tomorrow, okay?" Grabbing his arm, I pulled him up to his feet and toward the door. After pushing him out, I waited a moment, drowning out his shouted protests. When he finally shut up, I took a few calming breaths. Then I walked into the kitchen, taking two bottles of water from the fridge before returning to sit next to Bella. Again, she was staring at her lap.

"Sorry about Emmett. He's just a giant pain in the ass. But he's gone now." I handed her one bottle, and her eyes met mine for the first time since she'd come inside. "There you are."

"Thank you," she said, immediately taking a sip. "Uhm, why was he calling me _Bambi_?" The confusion on her face made her look really cute, and I was surprised by how badly I wanted to kiss her.

After staring at her lips for a minute, I remembered her question. I wasn't sure if I should laugh or feel embarrassed by my friend. "Emmett was there the night we met. He said your big brown eyes and innocent looks reminded him of Bambi." Her irritated expression made me smile, but I felt the need to explain. "He has nicknames for everything and everyone, you know. He calls me _Dr. Geekward _allthe time."

Bella smiled at me timidly, before she took another sip and then a deep breath. Slowly, her gaze that had been on the bottle in her hands, rose to meet mine.

Her face was grave, and I was about to say something to dissipate the tension when she finally began to speak. "Well, Edward, I came because I have to tell you something." The serious tone of her voice made the hairs all over my body stand on end.

_Oh no! Is she about to tell me she has some STD she probably passed on to me? Fuck! Maybe I should have gotten tested after all._

I swallowed to brace myself for whatever it was she needed to say. "Then, go ahead," I prompted.

Bella closed her eyes for a moment longer than a normal blink, then went ahead. "I'm sorry for showing up unannounced, but I didn't have your number. I wasn't sure if I should come at all, but I think you have a right to know."

Her eyes wandered to the bottle, not able to hold my gaze as it seemed. I followed, noticing that she was nervously peeling off the label. She looked so small and fragile that I felt the need to wrap her in my arms to ease her mind. Nothing could actually be that bad. Remembering her reaction the morning after our night together, I reluctantly decided against hugging her.

Her stance and actions were stressing me out, though. So I reached out to still her hand and was surprised by the jolt of electricity that shot through my hand as our skin touched. She flinched a little as if she felt it, too, so I let go.

"Bella, whatever it is, just tell me. You're killing me here, okay?" I spoke as confidently as I could, trying to make her relax.

After a few more deep breaths, her eyes met mine again, fear and sorrow evident there.

"I, uhm, I'm pregnant." Her voice was hoarse as she scrutinized my face, waiting for my reaction.

I'd heard the words, but they hadn't really registered yet. They were replaying in my head until, slowly, the penny dropped, and I jumped up from the couch, heading for the bottle of Jack I'd hidden behind a book. I poured myself a generous portion and downed it in one gulp, trying to make sense of the jumble of different emotions running through me. Confusion! Horror, though only short lived. A spark of excitement! Those were only a selection of the muddled feelings, rattling me.

_Wow! Bella's pregnant. And here I was waiting for her to tell me she had Chlamydia or something. _

_Pregnant! A baby!_

I was wakened from my stupor when I heard Bella clear her throat.

"Oh, sorry. You want a shot, too?" I asked, looking back at her rigid form.

She wrinkled her nose, shaking her head. "Uhm, I'm pregnant," she repeated her earlier words in an irritated tone.

Rolling the glass in my hands, I mumbled, "Shit. Of course, you can't drink. Maybe I shouldn't, either."

"No, please, knock yourself out. I understand. I wasn't exactly prepared for this, either," Bella said with furrowed brows.

I knew I should be questioning things. I should doubt the baby was mine. I should ask her for proof — a pregnancy test, then a paternity test. But she was the girl who'd run out of my apartment in shock after discovering she'd had sex with me. It was more than obvious that she didn't usually engage in casual sex with strangers. If she was pregnant and she was here, then the baby was mine beyond a shadow of a doubt. That's the kind of girl she was. I was sure of that.

As realization slowly set in, I walked back over to the couch, sitting down about a foot away from Bella. "It's okay._ I'm_ okay."

"Edward, you need to know that I didn't come here to ask you for anything. I just thought you had the right to know." I nodded once, unsure what to answer. But I didn't need to, because Bella wasn't done speaking yet. "I won't make any demands. You can be the baby's father, the nice uncle who stops by every once in a while, a casual friend, or nothing at all. It's totally up to you."

I didn't need to think for a second before I blurted out, "The father. I want to be the father. I mean, I _am_ the father. I wouldn't want to be anything less."

Never before in my life had I even considered having children. The women my father always wanted me with were either the housewife type or career-driven. Anyway, none of them had ever appealed to me. The women I'd actually had relationships with never met my family's standards, and after a while, it wasn't worth fighting for anymore, so there had never been an opportunity to imagine a future with any of them.

Although I'd never even pictured a family of my own, I was sure I wanted this baby — with Bella. I wanted to be as involved as I could possibly be.

BPOV

I had expected Edward to ask questions. I had expected him to doubt the baby's paternity. I had expected him to be annoyed, angry, or at least upset. What I hadn't expected was his immediate decision to take full responsibility. He looked a little shaken — which was only natural — but apart from that, he almost seemed to be happy. It didn't make any sense to me. After all, my revelation had the potential to ruin his life as he knew it.

"Okay. As I said, it's up to you." I glanced at him and saw a little smile playing around his lips.

"So, how long have you known? You must be what — six weeks along now?" I nodded in agreement. "Have you seen a doctor yet? Is everything okay so far?" Edward asked in a worried tone.

I took another sip of water to moisten my parched mouth. "I only found out Wednesday. You know, a lot has been going on in my life, and I hadn't noticed I was late. My boyfriend of seven years broke up with me the day before you and I met. He'd been in England for a year and only came back to break up with me." I felt the need to make sure he knew there was no other potential father. "Anyway, I saw a doctor on Thursday, and everything's normal for the time being."

Edward nodded a few times. "Do you have health insurance?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm an editor for McCormack & Hayes. They have good insurance for their employees. So you don't have to worry," I assured him, surprised how easily we'd gotten into discussing practical aspects.

He stared at the whiskey glass in his hands, rolling it back and forth for a while. "I want to go with you to the doctor's appointments. I want to be a part of it all." Edward's amazing green eyes were pleading but, at the same time, making sure he wouldn't take no for an answer. "My hours at the hospital are crazy, but I'm sure we can make it work somehow."

"Hospital?" I asked, surprised. "So you're a doctor?"

He smiled a little. "Not really — yet. I'm in my second year of residency in internal medicine at Northwestern Memorial."

"Wow, a doctor." I smiled widely. Considering the circumstances, my baby's father could have been unemployed without even so much as a high school diploma. "That would make you how old?" If we were going to raise a kid together, we'd have to start learning stuff about each other.

"I just turned 27. How old are you?" he countered.

"I'll be 25 in September."

Edward nodded, and the conversation kind of died down again. I let my eyes roam the room, trying to figure out the man who'd be part of my life for at least the next eighteen years.

His home was quite modestly furnished. The room we were in served as living room with the couch, coffee table and TV set as well as a kitchen in one corner and a study with a desk in another. In the space between it all stood a dining table, seating four.

The walls were lined with high sets of shelves that were packed with CDs and DVDs. The only pictures he had were a set of candid shots of himself and a very short, beautiful girl with spiky black hair, standing on the side table right next to me.

Looking at those, it hit me. "Do you have a girlfriend?" I asked, shock making my heart race. I didn't know the guy at all. Us spending a night together didn't really say anything about his relationship status.

"What? No, no, of course not," he answered indignantly. Then he noticed the pictures I'd been looking at. "That's my sister, Alice." A little smile played at his lips as he spoke her name, before he turned serious again. "Bella, I need you to know that what happened between us isn't a regular thing for me, either. I'm not saying I've never had a one-night stand before, because I have — not many, but some. It's not something I normally do, though." His eyes were intently locked with mine, desperate to make me believe him.

I did, but I wanted him to know that he didn't have to explain anything to me. We were hardly even friends. "Edward, what you do is none of my business. You don't have to tell me."

His lips were pressed into a tight line and his brows were furrowed as he started to speak quietly. "I tried to find you, you know? After you ran out that morning. I followed you as soon as I was dressed, but you were already out of sight. Then I went to the bar, asking around for you, but no one there seemed to know either you or Rosalie." He looked at me with sad eyes. "I didn't have your number or your address."

"That night was the only time we've ever been to that bar. Why?" I asked, confused. "I thought you wouldn't remember anything, either. Why not just leave it all be?" I didn't understand it. What did he think would have happened if he'd found me?

"Well, I said I don't remember a lot, but considering you didn't even know my name before I told you, it seems like I still remember a lot more than you do." His emerald eyes were holding me hostage, and I was almost incapable of forming a coherent thought — almost. There were still so many questions that had been driving me insane for the last several weeks.

I cleared my throat and freed myself from the spell I'd been under. "What do you remember? Rose could only tell me so much."

"I was there with Emmett that night. We'd had a few drinks when you stumbled into me. You were a little tipsy but really cute." The corners of Edward's mouth turned up in a wistful smile. "You apologized about a hundred times. During our collision, you spilled your drink and after a while, I convinced you to let me buy you a new one. We sat at the bar and talked, mostly flirting." At that point, he smiled so brightly that he showed a perfect set of pearly white teeth. "I kissed a drop of your drink from your lips, and you were very responsive."

I felt myself blush crimson and wished for the ground to open and swallow me whole. I was totally embarrassed, but at the same time, I wished desperately I could remember what his lips felt like. Edward was beautiful, and if I could forget everything going on at the moment, I'd totally see myself falling for his good looks and sweet ways. But there _was_ a lot of stuff going on, and I needed to pull myself together.

"And then we came here?" I asked, trying to appear calm and composed.

Edward quickly shook his head. "Not yet. Emmett interrupted us, and we went to play a drinking game with him and the girl he was with that night. From there, it's only bits and pieces I remember. I know we made out heavily. I have flashes of memories of us together — in bed." Although I knew he was trying to just tell me facts and remain unfazed, he couldn't hold back a smirk. "It was great. And you had fun, too. That's for sure."

I was a little taken aback. "How would you know?"

"Because you had a massive orgasm." I hadn't thought his smirk could turn any more smug until it did.

Wow! With Riley, it had always taken a lot to even make me have small orgasms. How was it possible that with Edward it had happened just like that? Now I wished even more that I could remember.

"Did we, uhm, we didn't use a condom, did we?" I asked shyly, trying to collect the last missing piece of the puzzle.

This time it was Edward who looked embarrassed. "I don't think so. I can't remember that part, but when I cleaned up, I found neither a condom nor a wrapper. I'm sorry." His remorse was sincere, and the way he blamed himself made me feel bad.

"It's not your fault alone. We were in it together, and we were both drunk. We're both equally responsible." The idea to blame him had never crossed my mind, and even now that he offered to be the solely guilty party, I still couldn't see it that way.

We were quiet again for a while, looking at everything but each other.

"So, uhm, I think we should get to know each other better if we want this to work." He motioned his hand between the two of us.

I nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I think we should." Unfortunately, I had no idea how to go about that.

"Then, I think we should start with exchanging phone numbers," Edward suggested.

_Of course, that would be the obvious start._

So, after typing Edward's number into my phone and telling him mine, we made our way to the door in uncomfortable silence.

"Uhm, I'll call you to set something up when I get my schedule for next week, okay?" he asked when he turned to look at me, his hand on the doorknob.

"Okay," I answered insecurely.

"And you'll call me if something happens — with you or the baby." It was a demand rather than a request. He was definitely committed.

I nodded with a small smile. "I will."

"Well, then, I'll call you." It took a second for him to make the decision, but then he pulled me into a kind of awkward hug.

I placed my hand lightly on his back to actively participate in the embrace.

"See you," I bid him farewell as I turned to walk away.

"Take care, Bella." Edward's voice followed me to the staircase.

I was relieved I'd gotten this over with and glad it had gone way better than I'd thought it would. I wasn't alone in this anymore.

********TBL********

**A/N:** That went well, right? Was it what you thought? Most of you guessed Edward would freak out, but he only had a small moment of shock.

I want to thank three lovely ladies from my FB group who tried to shed a little light on medical residency for me. You were great and helped me a lot. Although I heard from one of you that residency in internal medicine takes two years, I still decided to go with a three year concept because that was the result of my research of Feinberg School of Medicine, which is Edward's school. And it fits the story better ;).

Now, who wants to know what's next? Here's the teaser:

… "_So, Bambi, you're knocked up, huh?" Emmett cheekily started the conversation, but earned himself a punch to his arm from Edward. "What? That's what this is about, right?" he asked innocently while rubbing the sore spot. … _

Yes, next chapter will introduce the "Support System". Until then, I love reviews, and I answer them, too ;). So let me know what you think, either here or over on Facebook in the group _Payton79's Fanfiction_. See you next chapter.


	6. Chapter 5 - Support System

**A/N:** Thanks for coming back! I can't believe how much love you're all showing this little story. Thanks for all the reviews and comments. I hope I haven't forgotten answering anyone. If I have, as always, it wasn't intentional.

So, most of you were happy with Edward's reaction to Bella's news. Now let's see how their friends and family take the news.

But before I'll let you get to it, I need to tell you who the people are who make my writing readable. My two wonderful betas **evelyn-shaye** and **EdwardsMate4ever **polish my words until they shine, and without my prereader and over-all go-to girl **LaPumuckl** you probably wouldn't be reading anything at all.

Now, have fun getting to know the "Support System". See you at the bottom.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Twilight …

******TBL******

Chapter 5 – Support System

EPOV

The morning after Bella's big revelation, I was sitting in a restaurant, waiting for my sister and her fiancé to arrive for our brunch date.

It hadn't been easy for me to let Bella go again, but I'd sensed the tension and discomfort in my apartment. So I'd let her leave to organize her thoughts and ideas — come to terms with our new reality. Although she'd had two days more than I'd had to wrap her head around things, and she'd obviously made the decision to have the baby, she still didn't seem to have digested it all. Who could blame her? She was pregnant by a man she couldn't even remember meeting, let alone sleeping with.

But I was glad she'd decided to include me. The more-than-strained relationship I had with my father that made me very determined to do better by my own child. I only hoped that I could. After all, my father was the worst role model imaginable.

"Hey, big brother." Alice woke me from my daydreaming by hugging my neck from behind.

I placed my hand on her arms, squeezing lightly. "Hi, sis. You're early," I joked. Alice and Jasper were fifteen minutes late, but knowing my sister, fifteen minutes' delay was quite on time. Normally, she showed up at least half an hour later than the agreed-upon time.

"Asshole!" She playfully slapped my head before stepping away to let me get up and greet her fiancé.

Looking at my oldest friend, I extended a hand, and when he took it, I pulled him into a quick man hug. "Hey, Jazz. Good to see you."

Jasper and I had met on the first day of our expensive, private middle school. His father was a successful lawyer, his mother a socialite housewife, mixing with the same crowd my mother did. So, when I wanted to bring him home for the first time, my parents were rather delighted I'd finally made an "appropriate" friend.

We'd stayed very close until he started law school, while I was swamped with work in med school. That was about the same time he'd started dating my sister. Of course, my parents were more than pleased about the relationship.

Although we hadn't had the time to hang out together as much as we did before, we were still like brothers. Emmett was the friend I spent the most time with because we worked together and all, but Jasper still knew me longer and better than everyone else except for my sister.

"Edward, hi! How are you? You're looking better than you did on your birthday," Jasper commented as he pulled out a chair for Alice. "Any news on the mystery girl?"

I'd last seen both of them three weeks ago. Although I'd tried not to let it show, I'd been pretty bummed that I hadn't been able to find Bella. My sister and best friend knew me well enough, though, to see beyond the facade I'd put up. At their insistence, I'd told them about the girl I'd met but lost before I'd gotten the chance to ask her for her number.

I smiled wryly, realizing the irony of it all. "Actually, there is."

The waitress chose that moment to come over and take our order. Alice, as nosy as ever, was bouncing in her seat with impatience, trying to hurry the woman who was only doing her job.

As soon as she was out of earshot, Alice pounced. "Stop teasing us and spill. Have you seen her again? Have you two been out on a date?" Her voice squeaked with excitement.

I knew I wouldn't be able to tell her what she hoped to hear, but I needed to tell someone what happened. And who would be better than the people I felt closest to?

"She came to my apartment yesterday afternoon." I felt the need to take a pause to think about how exactly to break the news.

"How did she know where you live?" Jasper asked suspiciously.

It was only natural one of them would ask that question since I'd edited the story about Bella and me quite a bit when I'd told them before. But to be able to inform them of the new developments now, I needed to bite the bullet and come clean about all the sordid details.

"What I told you about the night I met Bella actually wasn't the whole story. She didn't vanish while I was in the men's room." I stopped to carefully choose my next words while I looked into two faces that were looking back at me expectantly. "Uhm, I told you that she and I made out — but it didn't stop at that." I took a deep breath, afraid that what I was about to say next could change the way they'd look at me from now on. "I took her home with me and we had sex. What I didn't know was that she was so drunk that she couldn't remember a thing the next morning. I don't remember everything either, but to a certain point, I do. Anyway, she woke up in my bed, shocked to see me, not even knowing my name. She got dressed in a haste and ran out, ashamed and mortified by her behavior." I looked into my sister's and best friend's eyes, waiting for a reaction. Strangely, there was only curiosity.

"So, yesterday she came to tell you that she can't stop thinking about you and wants to see you again?" Alice, always the hopeless romantic, demanded.

"Not exactly, no." I ran my hand through my hair, knowing the next part was the actual tricky one. "She came to tell me that she's pregnant. I'm going to be a father." I let out a relieved breath now that it was out, unable to contain the little smile that formed on my lips at the thought.

After an initial second of shock, my sister started to squeal and jump at me, hugging me hard enough to make me lose my breath. "Edward, that's great. You'll make a wonderful daddy."

I was glad about her approval, but my eyes were fixed on my friend. He hadn't moved, but his expression was serious.

"You're sure the kid is yours?" he inquired, typical lawyer style.

Alice let me go and gaped at her fiancé's question.

"You should have seen her that morning. She was totally devastated. Bella's not one for casual sex or frequently changing partners. She told me it was her first one-night stand. And I believe her. She'd been in a relationship for seven years, which ended the day before we met. And before you start with that argument, her ex-boyfriend had been out of the country for a year. So he can't be the father. There's no doubt. If you knew her, you'd see that her eyes are like an open book. That girl can't lie to save her life." My voice was firm because there wasn't a doubt in my mind about Bella's story.

Jasper didn't seem convinced by my words. "Did you use a condom?" he asked matter-of-factly.

A flash of shame crossed my mind at my irresponsible behavior, but it was gone as quickly as it came. "Apparently, I didn't."

"What does that mean?" His voice sounded uncomprehending.

I felt like a culprit on the witness stand, being cross-examined, and my teeth clenched for a second before I answered him. "It means that I can't remember, but I didn't find one later — no wrapper either. So, it's highly unlikely that we used one." I breathed out through my nose.

"But you're sure you can trust the girl?" Jasper's expression wasn't as hard as it had been a minute earlier.

"Yes, I am," I answered with all the conviction I felt.

My friend smiled at me while Alice, who was sitting in her chair again, had a satisfied smirk on her lips. "Okay, then. If you need my help, as your friend, your lawyer or in any other capacity, don't hesitate to call me." His words were sincere, and I was more than grateful.

"And I expect to get to babysit a lot," Alice added, clapping her hands like a toddler.

Thankful for their support, I answered the only way I could. "Thank you. It means a lot to me."

The waitress chose that moment to serve our meal. We'd ordered a wide variety of food, so it took her and one of her coworkers a few minutes to deliver it all.

When we were alone again, Jasper proceeded with inquiring about the details. "So, how's this supposed to work? What exactly did she want from you?" he asked before shoving a fork full of omelet into his mouth.

I swallowed a sip of my coffee and put down my cup. "Nothing. She wanted nothing. She told me about the baby, then said I could be as involved as I wanted or not at all. She didn't want money or anything if that's what you mean."

"What did you say to her?" Alice wanted to know.

"I told her I wanted to be the daddy, that I wanted to be there all the way." An involuntary smile played around my lips picturing our future.

Alice and Jasper smiled back at me, one a little more cautious than the other.

"And, how are you going to do that?" my practical friend demanded.

I shrugged my shoulders like it was the most obvious thing to do. "We'll start by getting to know each other."

"You're aware your parents will be less than thrilled, right?" At Jasper's comment, I had to suppress the light shiver that ran down my spine.

The thought had crossed my mind before, but I'd pushed it away, unwilling to bother with that yet.

"Yeah, that's why I'd ask you to not tell them for now. I'll tell them in time." I looked at the both of them pleadingly, and was glad to see them nod.

Well, I had bought myself some time. Although I wasn't sure if there would ever come a moment that was the right one to inform Dr. and Mrs. Cullen of their grandchild, I knew I had to do it — eventually.

****TBL****

BPOV

Over the past several days, Edward and I had established a routine of talking to each other at least once a day. Because of his irregular hours at the hospital, on some days, he was at work while I was at home and vice versa. That was when our brief chats about my morning sickness and the weather and other inconsequential things were conducted via text message instead of a phone call.

As soon as he'd gotten his schedule for the week, he'd called me to set a date for a face-to-face meeting to further our getting-to-know-each-other. The closer we came to Saturday, though, the more nervous I became about said meeting. I was afraid it would turn into a date kind of thing, which I didn't want, or actually, was scared of. So on Thursday, I asked Edward if it was okay to bring Rosalie with me. He was a little puzzled at first, but he agreed and suggested bringing his friend Emmett along, too. Although Emmett had been really weird when I met him at Edward's apartment, he was his friend, and if I needed to bring moral support, so he had the same right, too.

When I told Rose about high-jacking her evening, she was irritated at first, but when I informed her about Emmett tagging along, she was more than pleased, remembering his "cute little curls and dimples."

On Saturday night, we walked into the restaurant to find the guys already waiting for us. They were sitting on either side of the table in a booth at the far side of the room. Both stood up as soon as they spotted us. Edward greeted me with a hesitant but warm hug while the rest of us just shook hands.

Sitting back down posed a bit of a problem since there was a little indecision about who'd sit next to whom. In the end, Rose and Emmett scooted in on either side while Edward sat next to his friend, and I took a seat beside mine.

"So, Bambi, you're knocked up, huh?" Emmett cheekily started the conversation, but earned himself a punch to his arm from Edward. "What? That's what this is about, right?" he asked innocently while rubbing the sore spot.

"No, Em, it's not." Edward looked at me apologetically. "We want to get to know each other. I told you I wanted to see Bella again, even before I knew about the baby." He scowled at his friend for a moment.

The waitress arrived to take our order, and I was glad most of the tension dissipated. We chose different kinds of pasta and everyone — besides me, or course — ordered wine or beer.

Rose looked around, scanning our surroundings, when the waitress had left us again. "Nice place. You're here a lot?" she inquired, looking at Edward expectantly.

"No, uhm, my sister recommended it. I don't go out a lot." He seemed a little uncomfortable at Rose's not-so-subtle attempt to find out about his love life.

Emmett took a sip from his beer and zeroed his eyes in on me again. "Bambi, I heard you've been in a relationship for a long time. How come you're not on the pill or the shot?" He sounded casual but I couldn't help noticing the hidden accusation.

"I am, or rather, I was on the pill," I contradicted him defiantly. Although I felt my cheeks redden, I held his gaze.

"Then you suck at taking it, right? Otherwise my man Ed wouldn't be in this mess." He narrowed his eyes, making me feel like they were piercing mine.

Before I could even say a word to tell him that I'd always taken it right on time, Rosalie was at his throat — figuratively speaking. "Hey, if _your man Ed_ hadn't been too stupid to wrap his dick, none of us would be in this clusterfuck."

I gasped at her words and the sudden hostility between our two best friends. Rose was the last person to promote motherhood, but she totally had my back. Emmett's attack against me made my already chaotic hormones go into overdrive.

Edward tried in vain to rein his friend in, but he was full-on fighting with Rose now. "If you don't take the pill regularly and you have unprotected sex, then you go and get the fucking morning-after pill. Every little girl knows that shit." Although I was the one at the receiving end of those accusations, he was in Rose's face when he spat them out.

"And every little _boy_ knows to not dip his dick anywhere without a rubber. He's a doctor, right? How irresponsible can a person be?" Her expression was murderous, and if I were Emmett, I'd have feared for my life.

Looking from one to the other, I felt tears of disappointment, desperation and guilt run down my face, and a second later, strong arms wrapped around me and my cheek was pressed into a firm chest. "Guys, cut it out. Can't you see what you're doing to Bella? It doesn't matter who did what now. It's as useless as crying over spilled milk. We're here to look forward, not back. We want this baby, and we want to do it right. You're supposed to support us. If you can't do that, then you should leave." Edward's words were loud enough and fierce enough to stop Rose and Emmett's argument.

His hand stroked up and down my back, and I felt strangely safe in the arms of a man I hardly knew. Maybe it was the fact that I was feeling overwhelmed by hormones, maybe it was little Peanut knowing its daddy was close, or it was something else altogether, but Edward's warmth, his masculine scent, and the steady beat of his heart against my ear calmed me down.

Rose and Emmett both apologized sheepishly, and we were kind of saved by the food that arrived just that moment. After making sure I was okay, Edward went back to sit across the table from me.

I was a little shaken, and for the remainder of the night, conversation revolved around sports, movies, books and whatever else came up. No one argued about the pregnancy again, though Rosalie and Emmett seemed to disagree on everything. Whenever he said he liked something, she immediately responded by putting it down, and if she expressed a liking for something, it, of course, was the worst thing he'd ever heard, seen or eaten.

Although the two of them eyed each other like hawks all night, in general, we got along incredibly well. It turned out that Edward and I liked the same books, had the same taste in music and even shared many of our favorite movies. Even Emmett lightened up after his stomach was full and a few beers were downed. Not one more word of accusation was spoken again, and when we said good bye, Emmett pulled me into a bear hug, saying he was looking forward to seeing me again soon.

I was glad the evening had gone so well, and with all the similarities between Edward and me, I started to be able to really see us raising a child together, although we still needed to talk about the details. But I guessed there were still about eight months left for that. Maybe we'd touch that subject when we'd meet again next week.

********TBL********

**A/N:** How did you like the Support System? Was Jasper too critical or Alice too accepting? And Rose and Emmett? There doesn't seem a lot of love lost between those two.

Wanna know what happens next? Here's a sneak peek:

… "_He doesn't know about me and the baby, does he?" It sounded like a statement rather than a question. Her tone was cautious and a little sad. … _

What happened? Whom did they meet? Any ideas? Tell me here or on Facebook in my group _Payton79's Fanfiction_. The next update will probably be in two weeks.

Since I found most of my beloved favorite stories through recs in A/Ns, I decided to start rec'ing the ones I think you all should know. Here we go:

WIP rec:

**Silence is Golden, Sex is Divine – Dishie**

_Edward wanted her from the moment he saw her. Bella doesn't have time for a man. What happens when Edward takes a risk? The answer is he will possess her body, but she'll possess his heart. Will Bella learn who Edward really is? Silence is not always Golden, but the Sex sure is Divine! _

The story is hot, exciting and just great!

Completed rec:

**Take Me Home – LovinRob**

_Bella is a sex addict who has a dark history involving abuse. Will a one night stand with a kind hearted and somewhat shy Edward change her perceptions of the world? And more importantly can he show her that love is tangible? _

This was one of the first fics I've ever read ,and it has a special place in my heart. It's very hot but there's also a lot of love and very, very well written angst. You should definitely give it a try, or any other of her stories, for that matter. They're all wonderful.

So, you shouldn't get bored until my next update ;). See you in two weeks!


	7. Chapter 6 - Baby Steps

**A/N:** Hi! I'm glad you're all back. Thanks for all your great reviews. I love each and every one of them. Just like always, I tried to answer you all, but if I missed someone, please forgive me. I surely didn't mean to.

I want to thank for rec'ing TBL there. It earned me loads of new readers :).

My usual but still undying thanks and love go to **EdwardsMate4ever** and **evelyn-shaye** for being the wonderful betas that they are and to **LaPumuckl** who's my rock.

Now, enjoy the chapter. See you at the bottom.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Twilight …

******TBL******

Chapter 6 – Baby Steps

EPOV

After a long early shift at Northwestern Memorial, I was finally on my way out, glad to start my weekend.

"So, what are your plans? Meeting Bambi again? Or will you be burying yourself in your books for the next two days?" Emmett asked as we were leaving the building to get to our cars.

"I'll call _Bella_ later to set something up," I answered in an irritated tone.

Em chuckled as he halted at my Volvo. "Are you two dating now or what?"

I furrowed my brows, not sure how to reply to his question. "I'm not sure. I don't think so. I mean, I'd like to take her out but —" The muffled sound of "Bibbedi Bobbedi Boo" coming from my pocket saved me from having to answer the rather complicated question.

"Hey, man, what kind of a gay ringtone is that?" Emmett asked amused, but I was so surprised by Bella's call at this time of day that I didn't care to explain the Cinderella ringtone to him.

"Hi, Bella. What's up?" I greeted her, happy she was calling me, since it was usually me calling her.

"Hey, Edward. Uhm, I have a problem. I tripped at work and fell on my hand. A coworker dropped me off at the ER because my wrist is hurting." She sounded a little embarrassed, although I wasn't sure why.

"Where are you? I'll come and get you." Sure that with roughly one-hundred and twenty hospitals in Chicago chances were slim she was in mine, I jumped into the car, pointing at my phone to explain my sudden hurry to Emmett.

"I'm at Saint Anthony Hospital. You know, I forgot my wallet at work so I can't take a cab home and I can't get a hold of Rosalie," she told me shyly.

"Don't worry. I'll be there in ten minutes," I assured her while I started the engine and drove out of the hospital parking lot.

****TBL****

As I rushed into the ER, there was no sign of Bella in the waiting area. So I turned to the reception desk to ask about her.

"Excuse me, I'm looking for a young woman. She called me and said she was here because she fell on her hand. And she's pregnant." Nervous and worried, I felt the need to add the last piece of information because I wasn't sure Bella had thought of telling them.

The middle-aged nurse behind the desk looked up at me, raising an inquiring brow. "And who might you be, young man?"

"I'm the father — I mean, the baby's father." _Oh my, how stupid could I sound?_

She nodded and looked down at the papers in front of her. "What's your girlfriend's name then?"

I didn't care to correct her. "Bella," I said with conviction — which quickly vanished when I saw the look the nurse gave me, trying to get me to elaborate. Shaking my head, I was ashamed to realize that I didn't even know her last name. In the almost two weeks we had been talking now, it somehow hadn't occurred to me to ask about that apparently insignificant piece of information.

I felt totally embarrassed and wished that the ground would open up and swallow me whole when I was saved by Bella's voice coming from around the corner. "Edward? I'm here."

I nodded at the nurse, painting a tight smile on my face, and quickly walked to where Bella had called from.

"Hey," I greeted her with a light hug before sitting down in the plastic chair next to hers. "You're still waiting to see a doctor?"

"Yeah. It's pretty crowded here," she answered, looking around. "But they had me come sit here a few minutes ago because I'm supposed to be next. Could you help me fill out these forms, please?" She held up her right hand where a cool pack was wrapped around her wrist. "I'm not really able to write."

I took the clipboard from her hands and looked it over. "Let's start with your full name then."

"Isabella Marie Swan," she stated, smiling at me, and I smiled back.

"Date and place of birth?"

"September 13th, 1989. Forks, Washington."

"Any chronic diseases?"

"None."

In that manner, we filled out the form together, and I actually learned a few more things about Bella, like her penicillin allergy and the fact that she had a few broken bones during childhood due to "extraordinary clumsiness" as she put it. When we were done with the form, she told me about a few of her accidents and that the doctors in the ER back home called it an odd week if she didn't show up at least once.

Bella's stories really made me laugh and she joined in, apparently enjoying my company. I was glad she had loosened up after how embarrassed she'd sounded on the phone. It seemed like only five minutes had passed when she was finally called to an examination room. Unsure of what to do, I stayed back, but when she nodded her head towards the open door, motioning for me to follow her, I did just that. So I entered the room, feeling a little bit out of place.

The doctor was a middle-aged man, introducing himself as Dr. Gerandy. As Bella told him how she overlooked a bag on the floor and fell, catching most of her weight with her right hand, he glanced at the form, and noticed that she was pregnant. Because of that, he decided to do a manual examination, hoping to be able to avoid doing an x-ray, which would possibly harm the baby. Fortunately, he was sure her wrist wasn't broken, but only sprained.

Although he was almost certain everything was okay with the baby, it was standard procedure to do an ultrasound to make sure the little one hadn't suffered from the impact. Of course, it wasn't the first time I'd ever watched a sonogram of an embryo, but it wasn't just any child that suddenly appeared on the screen. It was mine — Bella's and mine.

I felt myself choke up, and I tried desperately to swallow down the lump that had taken residence in my throat when I spotted the little body on the black and white screen. I'd never taken much notice before, so I was all the more shocked to see a real little human being with a big, round head and little arms and legs that were flailing around after only two months. Unconsciously, I grabbed Bella's uninjured hand, holding it tightly in mine.

She looked up at me, surprise evident in her features, but as the room suddenly filled with a quick thumping noise, we both gasped and smiled at each other. I thought, in that second, we both realized for the first time that we were really going to be parents, and that we were in it together. No matter what would happen, we would both always love our child, and we would make it work, come what may.

"So, there's your baby." Dr. Gerandy interrupted our emotional moment and made our gazes return to the screen. "From what I see here, you should be around eight full weeks. The little one measures almost one inch and is totally healthy. No need to worry."

After printing out a picture, which I quickly tucked into my wallet, he cleaned Bella's belly from the jelly used for the ultrasound probe and put a brace on her wrist. He told her to rest it as much as possible and come back to have it checked again in a few days.

We both thanked the doctor, and after helping Bella get down from the examination table, we made our way to the lobby and toward the main exit, which was closer to my car than the ER exit.

When we were about to walk through the revolving door, Bella's name was called by a nurse who had followed us. Apparently, they had forgotten to give her a prescription for Tylenol, and while she explained how they should be used, I strode over to a vending machine to get us both a bottle of water for the way home.

All of a sudden, I went rigid when I heard the last voice I'd expected to hear. "Edward, what are you doing here?" I turned around slowly to meet my father's annoyed stare.

"Hello, Dad. I was picking up a friend who was in the ER. But what brings you here?" I answered with a quick glance at Bella, hoping desperately that the nurse would keep her long enough for my father to leave. I really didn't want to explain her to him here and now. That certainly wouldn't go over well.

Fortunately, he seemed to either have missed my sideways look or he just ignored it, although his brows were furrowed in doubt. "I had a consultation with a colleague. Don't you have work to do?"

I took a calming breath, feeling very annoyed with the question. "My shift ended two hours ago and I'm actually on my way home." Careful to not give him any more information than he asked for, I waited for him to reply.

"Okay, then. Will you be coming for lunch tomorrow? Your mother would like to see you every once in a while." Of course, he had to make sure I knew it wasn't him who had any interest in me. Not that my mother ever made me feel home at their house either.

I answered him hastily, trying to hurry him to leave me alone before Bella returned and I'd have to introduce her to him. "Yeah, I'll be there. See you tomorrow, then."

With a slight shake of his head, my dad said his goodbye, and I was relieved to see him disappear through the door, just as Bella appeared next to me.

"Who was that man you were talking to?" she asked as we made our way outside.

Knowing that I'd open up a whole string of questions, I huffed before I gave her an answer. "That was my father."

She was silent, obviously deep in thought, until we reached the car. Holding the passenger door open for her, I was surprised when she turned to look at me instead of just getting into her seat.

"He doesn't know about me and the baby, does he?" It sounded like a statement rather than a question. Her tone was cautious and a little sad.

I looked down at her, knowing my words would give her the wrong impression. "No, he doesn't."

Bella closed her eyes for a second, then looked at me with resignation. "Edward, you don't have to do this. You can still walk away. I told you, it's totally up to you."

"No, that's not what I want," I instantly assured her. "I want this baby, and I want to be a part of his life." I exhaled, not sure how to explain it so she'd understand. "My parents and I aren't close. In fact, our relationship is very … strained. I will tell them — just not now." My eyes burned into hers, pleading with her to believe me.

"You can't keep this a secret for long." She placed her hand on her still-flat belly. "If you don't want your family to know, this doesn't work."

"I do want them to know. I already told my sister and her fiancé. In fact, I want you to meet them. It's just that my father is — let's say he's difficult. I don't want him to get on our back already. But, of course, I'll tell my parents at some point." I reached out and placed my hand on top of hers, resting on her stomach. "This is _my _baby. There's nothing more important to me than my child." _And you_, I added in my mind only, knowing she wasn't ready to hear it out loud. "You have to believe me, Bella. I'll always be there for the two of you."

Flashing me a little smile, she put her other hand on top of mine. "I believe you," she said gravely.

"Okay," I answered, exhaling with relief. "Let me take you home."

After driving in silence for several minutes, something occurred to me. "Do _your _parents know?"

From the corner of my eye, I watched Bella bite her lip, deliberately looking away from me. "No, not yet. But I have a plan."

My brows rose, intrigued. "So what _is_ that plan?"

She looked over at me quickly before staring straight ahead through the windshield. "I could never tell them I got pregnant during a one-night-stand. I don't want them to think badly of me." I nodded slightly, understanding her reasoning. "A few weeks ago, I told my mom I'd started seeing someone. She tries to set me up with guys all the time, and I wanted her to stop bothering me. Well, I thought I'd go along with that. My father's birthday is in ten days, and I'll fly out there, so I can tell them in person. Then, a few months from now or maybe weeks, I don't know yet, I'll tell them we broke up. I don't want them to think I sleep around, you know?"

I could totally see her point. Remembering her horror the morning she woke up in my bed, it wasn't hard to imagine that she didn't want to tell that story to anyone. "I see, and it kind of makes sense. I wouldn't want to tell news like that over the phone either. And the boyfriend part sounds good, too." Then an idea hit me. "Hey, wouldn't the whole thing be more believable if I came along to your dad's birthday? I could support you when you tell them, too."

Bella turned her body to me until she was facing my side with an incredulous expression. "You'd do that? But I have to fly to Seattle and then drive three hours to Forks."

"Of course, I would," I answered without thinking about it twice. I actually wanted to meet her parents. "I'll get off of work early Saturday morning after the night shift, and I don't have to return until Tuesday."

"Well, uhm, okay. I'll see if I can change my flight then. But I'm afraid you'll have to sleep on the old couch in the living room. The house is really small and there's no guest room." Insecurely, she was worrying her lip with her teeth again. She looked so cute, but at the same time, sexy as hell, and I couldn't hold back a smile.

"No problem. I'm sure I've slept on worse. On-call rooms aren't that comfy either, you know?" It felt good that my comment made us laugh together. "So, if I fly to Washington with you, then you have to go to brunch with me on Sunday to meet my sister." I wasn't aware of how much I wanted her to meet Alice until that moment, and I wasn't going to let her back out of it.

****TBL****

"So, tell me again what they know, please," Bella asked nervously as we sat at the restaurant, waiting for Alice and Jasper. I'd already told her at least twice that they knew almost everything about how we met and what happened afterward. But I didn't mind telling her again if that eased her mind a little bit.

Unlike their normal habits, my sister and my friend made their way to our table right on time. I didn't have any other explanation than Alice being overeager to meet Bella. They walked straight toward us, but instead of giving me the usual hug, Alice passed me and made a beeline for Bella, pulling her into a tight embrace, just like she'd known her all her life.

"It's so good to finally meet you. Edward's told us so much about you," Alice sputtered excitedly.

Bella looked at me, totally dumbfounded, and at the same time, fighting for breath as my pixie sister almost had her in a choke hold. Helplessly, my eyes found Jasper who approached me, shaking his head at Alice's weird PDA.

"Sorry, man. I tried to rein her in, but she hasn't calmed down one bit since you called and told us you were bringing Bella." Jasper patted my shoulder, and I knew exactly what he was talking about. My sister, as much as I loved her, was a force of nature, which, once released, couldn't be held back.

Eventually, she let go of Bella and hugged me quickly before she sat down next to Bella. Taking advantage of the current silence, I introduced them. "Well, so you've met my sister. This is her fiancé and my best friend, Jasper Whitlock."

"Nice to meet you, Bella," he said with a smile as she took the hand he'd extended in greeting.

"It's great to meet you, too," she answered with a shy little grin.

"Aww," Alice cheered from her place at the table. "Come on, you guys. Sit down. I'm sure Bella's starving. After all, she has to eat for my little niece or nephew, too."

Again, I shook my head at my sister's antics but instead of making a comment, I just sat down on Bella's other side.

"So, what's good here?" she asked as she opened the menu, letting her eyes roam the first page.

At once, Alice took the leather-bound folder out of her hands. "We order one of everything and split. That's what we always do," she informed her casually while putting the menu down. "Now, tell us about you. What do you do? Where are you from? I want to know everything."

Obviously feeling uncomfortable being the center of attention, Bella gave a quick account of her life so far. She talked about her parents and her life in the small town of Forks, her love for books, and she briefly mentioned how she ended up at Northwestern, because her boyfriend wanted to go to college in Chicago. I felt sorry for her because she really seemed to miss her parents, but at the same time, I was very grateful to that idiot, Riley, for bringing her here, and later, breaking up with her. Because if he hadn't, she would never have stumbled into my life.

"And now you can read the whole day and make a living of it? That's just perfect. It's great to turn a hobby into a job. I did, too, and I love it," Alice told her with a wide smile.

Bella smiled right back at her. "So, what is it you do?" she asked with interest.

"I graduated from college last spring with a degree in design. Fashion is my life. I just started my own little label. Business is going great, and I get to dress people all the time. It's what I've always wanted to do." She paused for a moment, then an excited smirk appeared on her face. "Bella, we have to go shopping for maternity clothes soon. We'll have so much fun, I'm sure."

I knew Bella wasn't very big on fashion. Not that she was dressed badly, quite the contrary in fact. But she neither wore any labels nor did she usually wear heels, dresses or other fancy clothing. Her style was laid-back, casual and most of all, comfortable but without being boring or shabby. Her tense expression showed me that she wasn't excited about the prospect. "I'm sure there's enough time for that," I hurried to interrupt so she wouldn't have to hurt my sister by turning her down, or worse, agree because she felt obligated. "Bella isn't even showing yet, and she won't be for a few weeks either. We're both still kind of digesting the whole pregnancy thing."

Bella's eyes met mine and there was "thank you" written all over her face. In reply, I nodded infinitesimally to assure her I understood.

Alice smiled warmly as she answered, "Sure, sure. We'll talk about it again in a few weeks."

Fortunately, the waitress showed up at that point and ended the uncomfortable topic. After we'd all ordered our drinks and one of every breakfast dish on the menu, it was Jasper who started the conversation again.

"So, have you two talked about the legal aspect of raising the baby together? Like if you'll be named as the father in the birth certificate, visitation rights or how much child support you'll be paying, Edward?" he asked in a calm but practical tone.

I watched Bella's eyes grow wide with shock, waving her hands dismissively. "No, no, no, no, no! I don't want any child support!" she practically screamed while her gaze jumped back and forth between Jasper and me. Just like she'd been accused of something, she rushed to continue defensively, "Of course, you'll be named in the birth certificate, if that's what you want. And you can see your child as often as you want," she kind of choked out.

"Bella, calm down! It's okay," I tried to ease her mind, instinctively reaching for her hand. "No one's insinuating anything. Jasper's a lawyer. He always sees the legal side to everything." I threw him a dark look. Instantly, his expression turned remorseful.

"Yeah, Bella, I'm sorry," he said apologetically with a genuine smile. "I didn't mean to upset you. I just wanted to point out that there's stuff you have to figure out and maybe put in writing for both your insurance. I want you to know that I'm here for you both whenever you're ready to think about the legal issues, or if you have any questions." His eyes locked with Bella's, and she nodded carefully.

"Thanks, Jazz," I said, then turned to smile at Bella. "And of course, I'll be paying child support. But we can argue about that later." I threw her a wink to finally lighten the mood.

It seemed to work since Bella flashed me a smile that actually reached her eyes.

Again, we were interrupted as our food was being served. Only now, I noticed that Bella must be famished because she dove right in.

"I heard you went to see Mom and Dad yesterday?" Alice started casually, although she knew it was a sensitive topic for me.

I took my time chewing my bite of French toast and swallowed it slowly before I answered. "I was there for about forty-five minutes before I found a way to politely excuse myself to get away from Dad's chastising of my work ethics and his rambling about my career. When will he ever get that I'm not like him and don't want to be either?" I said the last part more to myself than to anyone else.

"Then I take it you haven't spoken to them about the baby? I told you, you shouldn't tell them yet." Although they never put Alice under any kind of pressure apart from finding a suitable husband, they weren't particularly warm and loving to her either. I often wondered how she turned out to be the caring and compassionate woman she was with no role model for that whatsoever.

"No, I haven't, and I won't any time soon. Dad has no business meddling in it anyway," I said a little harsher than I'd intended.

"He'll find out soon enough, and you can deal with it then," Alice answered with a reassuring smile.

I didn't want to make Bella feel uncomfortable since we'd already had a disagreement about my parents before. So I decided to, instead, direct the attention to our upcoming trip to Forks.

We told Jasper and my sister about Bella's plan to make them believe we were a couple. At that, Alice's eyes lit up with an excited gleam, but I was glad she didn't say anything else than that our plan might be for the best.

From there on, we had a nice time. It was unbelievable how much Alice seemed to like Bella, and how Bella, in return, lightened up.

"We so have to do this again," my sister insisted when we were on our way over to the parking lot. "And we have to do that shopping trip some time. Bella, give me your phone and I'll give you my number."

After exchanging numbers and making promises to talk to each other soon, Bella and I made our way to my car. With Bella meeting my sister, the first step toward us becoming a family was taken. Hopefully, next weekend would go equally well …

********TBL********

**A/N:** Baby steps it was. What did you think of their first sonogram together? Wasn't it cute?

And what about Daddy C? Isn't he a real charmer?

Next up, there's the Forks trip. Here's a little preview for chapter 7 – "Behind Closed Doors":

… _The atmosphere was somehow charged, and I felt a strange pull toward the man standing in front of me. Lifting my head to look up at him again, I found his dark-green eyes smoldering. … _

I know, I'm a tease but I enjoy hearing your thoughts, here or on Facebook in my group _Payton79's Fanfiction. _

According to the tradition I started last chapter, here are this week's recs:

WIP rec:

**Crossing the Lines – sheviking**

_Desperate times call for desperate measures. Bella is starving for a better life for her and her son, and taking her clothes off in front of a stranger is just the first of many lines she'll cross. _

This story had me hooked after only a few paragraphs. Great writing!

Completed rec:

**It's Real Life – xXTailoredDreamsXx**

_Bella never thought she'd meet a man who could make her want everything she'd been running from most of her life. What will happen when a self professed friends w/ benefits pro meets a self proclaimed recovering manwhore while the cameras are rolling watching their every move? It's Real Life... will they be ready for the reality of it?_

This story is one of my all-time favorites. It has everything: romance, angst, drama and just the right amount of smut. But her other stories, _Two Makes Three_ and _Two Makes Five_, are also great. You gotta check them out!

Okay now, those recs should last you long enough until my next update ;). See you next time, _Behind Closed Doors_!


	8. Chapter 7 - Behing Closed Doors

**A/N:** Hi ladies! There's so many of you now. I'm really overwhelmed. And I want to thank Nicki for rec'ing my story at The Lemonade Stand. It sent a lot of you my way.

Okay, so this chapter, Edward will meet Renée and Charlie. Anyone interested to see how that'll go? Well, here you go …

… But only after the necessary credits. I'm very grateful to my wonderful betas **evelyn-shaye** and **EdwardsMate4ever** for putting up with my bad punctuation and all my other flaws. And I guarantee you I have a lot of those, many due to the fact that English is not my first language. I also can't thank my sister-from-another-mister and pre-reader **LaPumuckl** enough for her constant support and help at all times of day or night.

Now, we're off to Folk. Enjoy! See you at the bottom.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Twilight …

******TBL******

Chapter 7 – Behind Closed Doors

BPOV

From the passenger seat of our rental car with, driving from Seattle to Forks, I watched the familiar landscape pass by. I hadn't been home since last Christmas, which was more than seven months ago. I loved my parents, and missed them a lot, but I was happy in Chicago. Although the view out of the car windows made my heart swell with nostalgia, I'd never actually contemplated moving back to Washington.

Edward looked over at me, shooting me a reassuring smile. Until that moment, I hadn't been aware of how nervous I was. Things would undeniably be awkward with me bringing Edward home so shortly after my break-up with Riley, but if I wanted my parents to believe the story of me and Edward being in a relationship, they needed to meet him.

"Edward, uhm, I'm not really sure about telling my mom and dad about the baby this weekend. After all, I'm not even in my second trimester, and so much can still happen until then."

I'd been thinking about that a lot since Edward offered to come with me. I wanted to tell them in person, but it was still so early. What if something happened, and I worried them for no reason? The thought alone of losing the baby made me feel a sudden jolt of pain. It had definitely been an accident that had led to the life growing inside of me, but I loved my little Peanut with everything I had.

"Bella, it's not like one out of two pregnancies ends in a miscarriage, but I get what you mean." He quickly looked at me with an understanding expression before his gaze returned to the highway.

I took a long breath before I continued. "I want to use this weekend to give them a chance to get to know you and to make them believe that we're a couple. And whatever I tell them about us, please, just go along with it. I'll try to make it as easy as possible for all of us." I bit my lip, glancing nervously at Edward.

He reached over the center console and gave the hand that was resting on my leg a gentle squeeze. "It's okay. Just do whatever feels right. I'll be your _doting boyfriend_ for the next couple of days." He smirked at me, and his emerald eyes twinkled conspiratorially. I couldn't keep myself from smiling right back. Yes, if we were like that, I was quite sure we could pull off the lovebird act.

****TBL****

"Oh, honey, it's so good to see you," my mom cheered as she pulled me into a tight hug. She'd come running down the porch steps as soon as Edward shut off the engine.

I patted her back a few times, trying to make her loosen her grip. "I'm happy to be home again, Mom."

She let go of me reluctantly, but when I looked at her face, I noticed her gaze fixated on Edward, who was just stepping out of the car. My mother was practically eye-fucking him with a strange mixture of awe and lust evident on her face.

"And who's that gorgeous specimen over there?" She moved closer, whispering right into my ear. "You said he was handsome, but you didn't say he looked like he jumped right off a magazine cover." If I hadn't known better, I would've been sure my mom was drooling over my pretend-boyfriend.

"Mom," I choked out in embarrassment.

She smiled at me sheepishly and shrugged her shoulders as if to say she couldn't help herself. I shook my head to erase the image of my mom hitting on Edward and gestured toward him as he was walking over to us. "Mom, this is Edward Cullen. Edward, my mother, Renée Swan."

Like the gentleman he was, Edward quickly extended his hand for my mother to shake. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Swan."

Ignoring his outstretched hand, she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him to her. "None of that nonsense. I'm Renée. I'm so happy you could come with Bella."

Edward looked a little shocked and subtly tried to free himself from my mother's clutches. That was the moment my dad chose to make an appearance.

"If there's a party going on out here, why wasn't I invited?" he bellowed from the porch, then made his way over to join us.

Upon hearing my father's voice, Edward tried more forcefully to get out of my mom's clingy embrace. She finally seemed to realize that she was being inappropriate and let go of him as inconspicuously as possible, moving a few feet away.

"Hey, Dad!" I mumbled as my father wrapped his arms around me.

"Oh, Bells, I missed you so much," he answered, his face buried in my hair.

We stayed like that for a long moment, reveling in the feeling of being together again. When we broke apart, I noticed a warm smile on my mom's as well as on Edward's face.

"Dad, I want to introduce you to my boyfriend." _Man, that felt weird_. "This is Edward Cullen. Edward, Chief Charlie Swan, my dad."

The two men eyed each other carefully for a minute — Edward with worry on his face, the Chief looked like Edward was a suspect in a crime. Then my father flashed him a bright smile, holding out his hand.

"Welcome, son. I'm glad you could make it. It's good to meet the man who takes care of my baby." Edward cringed slightly as the word _baby_ left my father's lips, but I hoped no one but me noticed. If they did, then at least they didn't acknowledge it.

So, instead of answering, Edward just nodded his head at my dad.

The Chief didn't pay any heed to Edward's discomfort. "Come on, kids, let's go inside. We're in Forks. It could rain any minute."

Edward was roused from his daze and jogged around the car to open the trunk and get our luggage. Charlie joined him, and together they carried our suitcases into the house while my mom linked her arm with mine and led me inside.

****TBL****

"So, I'm dying to know, how long have you two been seeing each other? How did you meet? Oh, this is so exciting." My mom shot off her questions as we sat down for an early dinner.

Chuckling humorously, my dad shook his head. "Renée, you're being impossible. Let the kids eat, for God's sake. They've been traveling for eight hours or more. Give them a little peace," he chided.

"Oh, you old grumbler." She playfully swatted his forearm. "No matter how much you try to hide it, you're bursting with curiosity just like me." Then she turned to look from me to Edward and back. "Come on, now, don't make me beg for it."

I sighed deeply, knowing I'd have to tell them something eventually. "We met a few months ago at a bar. I was there with Rose, and Edward was out with a few of his friends. We talked the whole night and exchanged numbers. But I was still with Riley, so we were just friends. We met with a group of people a few times, and soon after Riley had broken up with me, Edward asked me out."

I'd rehearsed that speech for the past week, trying to come up with a way to not make our relationship look like it happened too quickly. But I didn't want them to think Edward had anything to do with Riley and me breaking up either — or worse, that I'd cheated on my ex. So I needed them to think Edward and I had actually known each other a while before we started dating and that our friendship had been clearly platonic until I was free and single.

"You know, it's not like Riley and I had actually spent any amount of time with each other since he left for London." I tried to make them believe that I didn't do anything wrong.

My mom raised her brows inquisitively as she asked, "So you weren't actually that devastated when he broke up with you?" To my surprise she sounded rather hopeful.

"Well, no. I mean, I was totally hurt hearing that he cheated on me for almost a year, but he's been away for so long that it didn't really feel like he left me two months ago but when he first left for England." I was nervous, desperate for my parents to not think of me as someone who changed men like her underwear. Then I felt Edward's hand carefully squeezing mine. I didn't know why, but the gesture made me relax considerably. Grateful for his support, I turned my head to throw him a little smile and found him smiling right back at me.

"Whatever happened between you and Riley, seeing you two sitting there and looking at each other like that, I know it was for the best. You seem to have found someone way better suited for you than he was." The tone of my mother's voice showed that she really meant what she said. We seemed to actually be able to make them believe we were in love.

After swallowing the bite in his mouth, my father turned his attention to Edward. "So we know how you met. Now, tell us a bit about yourself, Edward. Where are you from? What do you do for a living?"

Edward let go of my hand, reached for his glass and drank a few sips of water. "I'm from Chicago, born and raised." He started answering my father's questions. "I went to a prep school, then Northwestern College and medical school. Last year, I started my residency at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. In two years, I'll be a specialist in internal medicine, then I plan to apply for a fellowship in cardiology." His voice sounded neutral until he spoke the last part. We hadn't talked about it before, but from the way he said it I got the impression that he wasn't really looking forward to where his career would go. But instead of calling him out on it, I decided to store the thought away for later.

"Wow! A doctor!" My mom mused. "What do your parents do? Have they met Bella?"

I noticed Edward clenching his jaw for a quick second before he began to speak again. "My father's a cardiologist, too, Chief of Cardiology, actually." His voice was tense, and I began to suspect that somehow his father was the reason Edward wasn't happy with his future. "My mother's a homemaker but she's very active in lots of charities." He paused for a moment, apparently contemplating his next words. With a determined expression, he continued. "I'm not very close to my parents. And they're busy a lot. That's why Bella hasn't met them. She knows my sister, though. Alice and I are very close." The corners of his mouth turned up in an affectionate smile when he spoke about her.

My parents seemed to be satisfied with Edward's account for himself, and the conversation moved on to other topics.

****TBL****

After we were done cleaning up the kitchen, Edward couldn't hold back his yawn.

"You look tired," my mom stated, taking a closer look at him.

Edward waved her off, trying to get his obvious exhaustion under control. "No, it's okay. I worked the night shift and didn't get much sleep. But I rested a bit on the flight. No need to worry."

"Don't be embarrassed. Bella doesn't look very fresh, either. You two go on to bed. We'll have the whole day tomorrow to get to know each other better. Now, shoo." She motioned for us to move out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

"But, Mom, what will you do the rest of the evening if Edward's asleep on the couch?" I asked with a frown. I couldn't remember an evening my parents hadn't spent in front of the TV.

She stared at me as if I was dense, then shook her head. "No, silly. Edward sleeps in your room, of course."

At her words, my jaw dropped several inches. Incredulous, I looked from her to my dad, who actually seemed to be okay with her suggestion, and back to her. After swallowing a few times, I was finally able to form words again. "But, Dad, you've never let a guy into my room!" This couldn't be happening. Not only did Riley always have to sleep on the couch or at his parents' house whenever we'd come for a visit, but I couldn't sleep in the same bed as Edward. We weren't a couple! And the one time we'd ever shared a bed brought us nothing but trouble — and Peanut, of course. But still, I couldn't do it.

"Honey, I've come to terms with the fact that you're a grown woman." My dad's voice interrupted my nervous internal chatter. "Although Riley never gave me reason — well, until recently, that is — I never trusted the boy. But that's over now. I promised your mother to treat you as an adult, which includes letting your boyfriend share your bed. It's not like it's the first time, anyway." He chuckled humorously, but instead of feeling at ease, I felt my stomach threaten to churn.

"I wouldn't want you to feel uncomfortable in your own house with me in Bella's room." Edward, who seemed just as uneasy as me, made one last attempt at changing my father's mind. But he waved us off, sending us on our way.

"Have a good night, kids. And, please, keep the volume down. I may know what goes on behind closed doors, but I don't need to hear it." He wrinkled his nose before laughing at his own joke.

Slowly and awkwardly, Edward and I made our way up the stairs and into my bedroom. After I opened the door, I took a look around, realizing that Edward was about to see my childhood bedroom, which hadn't changed much since I'd been fifteen. My gaze wandered from the movie posters of _Pirates of the Caribbean_ and _Harry Potter_ to my teddy bear collection on my window seat.

This was not the kind of room I wanted Edward to see. But since he'd already entered behind me, setting our bags on the floor next to the door, I had no chance to hide the embarrassing evidence. Carefully, he took a few steps into the room, curiously scanning his surroundings. "Nice posters. The_ Pirates_ saga was great," he commented, apparently sensing my unease. When his eyes met my army of stuffed animals, he chuckled. "Your dad doesn't have to worry about me touching you inappropriately. I wouldn't dare to with that many eyes watching me."

I had to smile at his attempt to lighten the mood but quickly turned serious again. "I'm sorry. This is really not how I planned things to go. If you don't want to stay here, we'll make up some excuse to tell my parents." My eyes were pleading with his, desperate to make him understand that I hadn't plotted to get him into my bed.

"Bella, it's okay," he assured me in a soothing tone. "We're both adults, and we'll manage to share a bed for two nights without either ravishing or killing each other." One corner of his mouth turned up in a sexy crooked grin, making my stomach do a strange flip. "It's not like we haven't done this before."

I had to rip my eyes from his intense gaze that seemed to bore into my soul. "Yeah. Like that did us any good," I mumbled, unsure if I intended him to hear me or not.

In less than a second, Edward had crossed the space between us, gripping my shoulder with one hand while the other went for my chin to turn my face back to look at him. "I don't regret anything, Bella. You need to know that. And I don't want you to have regrets, either." Again, his eyes were burning into mine while his hands felt like they were scorching my skin. It wasn't the first time he'd touched me since that night, but it was the most intense and somehow most intimate moment we'd shared so far.

Unable to look away, I held Edward's stare, giving him an infinitesimal nod. His expression became a little softer when he continued. "However and for whatever reason it happened, we made a baby, and I'll never see that as anything other than a blessing."

Unconsciously, my hand moved to cover my still-flat belly, hovering protectively over the little being residing inside. "You're right. Peanut is a blessing. And I'll love him no matter what."

"Peanut?" Edward asked softly with an amused grin on his lips.

I averted my gaze, finding my Chuck-covered toes incredibly interesting, when I sheepishly answered, "That's what I call him, because that's what he looked like in the first sonogram."

He led out a sigh before he whispered in a sad tone, "I wish I'd been there."

"You will be there from now on," I tried to comfort him.

The atmosphere was somehow charged, and I felt a strange pull toward the man standing in front of me. Lifting my head to look up at him again, I found his dark-green eyes smoldering. Before I could give in to the urge to rise to my tiptoes and press my lips to his, I heard a noise from downstairs that effectively broke my trance.

"Uhm, we should get ready for bed," I said, quickly turning away, out of his grasp.

I went over to get my bag, set it on the bed and took out my flannel sleeping pants and a tank top, then made my way to the bathroom down the hall.

When I returned, I clutched my clothes to my chest to hide my enlarged boobs that were straining against the tight fabric. Edward had changed into sleeping pants and a white t-shirt and was placing his folded clothes on a chair. He looked up at me and smiled timidly, raising his brow when he noticed me hiding behind my load of garments. Awkwardly, I put them on the floor next to the bed and slipped under the covers, pulling the sheet up to my chin.

Shaking his head with what seemed like amusement, Edward lifted the covers on the opposite side of the full-sized bed. After flashing me a reassuring smile, he switched off the lamp on the bedside table, and suddenly, darkness surrounded us. There was only about a foot of space separating us, but neither of us moved closer or even crossed the invisible border.

Hidden in the dark, I listened to Edward's deep, regular breathing. There was something that had been on my mind for a while, but I'd never gotten the chance or dared to ask him about it. But unable to see his reaction — or what was maybe more important, with him unable to see mine — there was no time like the present.

"There's something I've been wondering about," I whispered into the darkness. When he didn't answer, I took it as encouragement to continue. "I didn't lie when I said I was on the pill. And I really did take it regularly. Then how could I get pregnant?"

"No kind of protection is one-hundred percent safe," Edward's quiet voice said seriously.

I knew that, of course, but still, it didn't answer my question. "But it worked for seven years. With Riley, I always relied on the pill and it worked. So, why now?"

"There are a few things that can make the pill less effective. For example, if you throw up or have diarrhea. Then you can have an ovulation." For the first time since I told him about the baby, I heard the doctor in Edward talk. The calm and confident way he spoke made me smile at his soothing bedside manner.

"I had neither," I replied a little defeated.

"And there are some meds that can interact with hormonal contraceptives. Did you maybe take antibiotics around the time we met or a few days earlier?" he asked further.

"No. The only thing I took is Reglan. My doctor prescribed it when I went to see him for a bad migraine about a week before. I asked him about interactions but he said there were none."

"Then that's it," he stated matter-of-factly. "It almost never happens, but Reglan can — in very rare cases — render the pill ineffective. Many doctors don't know about it, but it can happen. It doesn't matter, though. We can't change the past — and I don't want to, either."

We were calm in the darkness again, while I wondered if I could have done anything differently to avoid what happened, when my thoughts went back to Peanut, making me smile involuntarily.

"Bella," Edward's low voice reminded me that I wasn't alone. "What happened with Riley?"

I hadn't expected that question. Since I'd told him about the baby and that Riley had broken up with me the day before Edward and I met, we hadn't really talked about him again. But now that we were here and his name had come up a few times, it was only natural Edward would have questions.

He seemed to take my silence as unwillingness to answer his question. "You don't have to tell me, of course," he said softly.

I was quick to dispel his concern. "No, it's okay. I just didn't expect you to ask me that now." I'd been lying on my side, facing away from Edward, but now rolled onto my back, staring up at the invisible ceiling. "Riley and I met the first day of senior year in high school. His family had just moved here from Portland." Before my mind's eye I saw the eighteen-year-old boy with dirty-blond hair and twinkling brown eyes who'd wooed me like no one before him ever had. "We started dating and fell in love, and pretty soon, we were inseparable. When the time came to choose a college, he convinced me to go to Northwestern with him instead of going to UDub like I'd planned. That's how I got to Chicago." Nostalgically, I thought back to those first years, smiling to myself. "We lived in the dorms where Rose was my roommate. Then, after we graduated, Riley and I found this nice two-bedroom apartment. Everything was perfect, and we were already talking about marriage and stuff when he came home one day, telling me he'd been offered one year abroad in England. He didn't really discuss it with me, just told me he'd get a raise and we would buy a house when he came back."

I was so wrapped up in my story that Edward startled me when he spoke. "He didn't ask you to go with him?" He sounded sad, but I thought I detected a trace of anger, as well.

"No, he didn't," I answered simply.

"Idiot!" Edward mumbled under his breath.

I shook my head to ignore the comment. "Anyway, he left six weeks later. I hadn't seen him for twelve months until he returned the day before I met you."

"You didn't visit each other?" Edward appeared to be stunned.

"We'd planned to, but then something always got in the way. We Skyped and talked on the phone, but as time went by, we both called less. Then he returned to tell me he'd met someone and waited ten months to tell me in person, all the while being with her behind my back." I was angry at how defeated I sounded, telling him that last part.

"Fucker!" was Edward's short reply, before he turned quiet once more.

Several minutes passed, and I was wondering if he'd fallen asleep when he spoke again, his voice soft like velvet, but at the same time, strangely strained. "Do you still love him?"

I sighed before I gave him an answer. "No, I don't. And I think I haven't in a while." I took a minute to think about it. "It was hard to let him leave for the year, but we kind of drifted apart while he was away. After a few months, I didn't even miss him anymore. So I wasn't heartbroken when we broke up. But I was crushed by his betrayal. You know, when you're together with someone for that long, you become best friends. And the fact that he screwed around behind my back hurt like hell." I hoped Edward understood what I was saying.

"Don't get me wrong, but I'm glad he acted like an ass, because I'm sure, otherwise we wouldn't be here. And I really like it here." I could clearly hear the sincerity in his voice, and his words made my heart swell.

"Good night, Edward," I whispered, smiling into the dark.

"Night, Bella. Sweet dreams!"

As soon as I closed my eyes, I was fast asleep.

****TBL****

When I slowly woke up the next morning, I felt warm and very comfortable. The sheets were wrapped around me, and as I inhaled, I almost moaned at the deliciously masculine scent that flooded my nostrils. I knew I was wrapped around a warm body, reveling in the sensation I hadn't experienced in so long. So long — far too long. More than one year.

More than one year? Oh, yes, Riley and I had broken up. … Riley smelled differently. Riley _felt_ differently. With a start, I sat up, freeing myself from the arm around my waist that was holding me to the solid form next to me. Mortified, I looked down at a sleepy Edward who squinted at me with a confused expression.

Before I could say a word to apologize for my inappropriate advance, I felt my stomach churn and with my hand pressed to my mouth, I jumped off the bed and made a mad dash for the bathroom. I didn't even have the time to properly close the door behind me before I lifted the lid of the toilet and retched up the contents of my stomach.

It wasn't long until I heard naked feet hitting the bathroom tiles and smooth hands pulling my hair away from my face. I was too wrapped up in the nausea and the violent heaving to feel embarrassed that Edward was seeing me like that. I closed my eyes to calm down and settle my stomach when I suddenly felt a cold, wet cloth against my forehead.

"It's okay. Just let it all go. Breathe deeply and try to relax," a soothing voice whispered into my ear. Slowly, the nausea died away, and I sank to the floor while Edward tenderly stroked my back.

"Thank you," I choked out while I was still catching my breath.

I closed my eyes to stop the room from spinning and dared to rest my head against his shoulder.

"Is it like that every morning?" Edward asked, his voice laced with worry.

Without looking at him, I nodded my head. "More or less, yes," I mumbled through my rough throat. "But on most days, it gets better after I throw up once."

His one hand continued rubbing my back while the other carefully removed the wet hair that stuck to my face. "And on the other days?"

I sighed. "On the other days, I feel like I want to die until well after noon."

"I'm so sorry," Edward apologized, and the guilty tone of his voice made me open my eyes to look at his anxious expression.

I wasn't sure where it came from, but my lips curled up into a little smile. "I'm not!" I stated with conviction.

His face relaxed and he smiled right back at me before he tenderly touched his lips to my forehead. "You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that."

********TBL********

**A/N:** Isn't Charlie the best? And Renée's so sweet, isn't she? So, now you finally know why Bella got pregnant. I'm sure most of you have never heard about the interaction Edward mentioned. I'm a pharmacist and I didn't know. It took me a while to find it, too, but it's real, although more theoretical, otherwise I'd have a soccer team of children today ;).

Well, they're in Forks now. And they will be next chapter, as well. What do you think will happen next? Here's a little teaser:

… _Her hair was wrapped in another towel, leaving her creamy neck completely exposed. I felt saliva pool in my mouth at the thought of burying my face in either her neck or between her legs — I didn't actually care which one. … _

Another bit of sexual tension, yay. But what will they do about it? I guess you'll have to wait and see. Until then, tell me your thoughts, here or on Facebook in the group Payton79's Fanfiction.

And here are this week's recs:

WIP rec:

**Tatted Hips and Wicked Lips – Hoodfabulous**

_Bella can't stand Edward Cullen. She hates his tattoos, his piercings, and his stupid band. But mostly she hates how badly she wants him. He hates her too...or so she thinks. Will one iPhone fail change everything? My entry to LOL Text Message Contest. Won: Public Vote, Best Edward, Hottest Text Fail, Host's Choice- CaliGirlMon, Judges' Pick- SDFanFicChic. _

This story is fun and really hot. I'm sure you'll enjoy it if you give it a try.

Complete rec:

**The Cullen Legacy – pattyrose**

_A gift; sometimes unknowingly bestowed. Bella met Edward in a London pub, never imagining where each would be 7 years later: he a Congressman fueled by ever-growing political ambition, she the woman with an explosive secret that can end all his dreams. But Bella might soon find that revenge isn't all it's cracked up to be, and that Edward may harbor his own dark secrets. _

I was totally captivated by the emotion and intensity of this story. If you haven't read it yet, you have to start right now.

Enjoy the recs. Next update will probably be Monday, October 6th since I'm on vacay the week before. See you then.


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